Snippets in Time Season 1
by MistressSpin
Summary: KaraLee fiction based on each episode of season one and sometimes deleted scenes. Each fic is stand alone with no continuity with previous or following chapters. Inserted scenes, how things could have gone, and some slightly AU. Spoilers first season.
1. Chapter 1

Summary:

Five full days with no sleep was taking its toll on Kara Thrace. She wanted to sleep, but since that wasn't an option, she either wanted to fight with someone or frak someone. She really didn't have the energy to work up a good head of anger, so it looked like frakking someone was the best bet. Lee Adama happened to be the closest male in proximity since he was standing right beside her.

33

"How much time do we have?"

"Twenty-two minutes, why?"

"Come with me."

"Kara, where are we going?"

"Just shut up, Adama and come with me."

"Look, I've got a lot to do before…oof. What the hell?"

"Listen to me, Lee. I'm tired; really tired and I either need to fight or frak so I don't fall asleep where I'm standing. Which do you choose?"

"Damn." Unzips flight suit. "I choose frakking. Can't have you end up in the brig."

Smiles. "I thought you might say that." Unzips flight suit. "And Lee?"

Steps out of the flight suit, "What?"

"Don't plan on being gentle. I need it hard and fast." Kisses him breathless. "Can you handle that?" Shrugs out of her flight suit.

"Uh…I'll see what I can do" Kisses her until she moans, pushing her shorts down and out of the way. "We've only got twenty-minutes…fast shouldn't be a problem."

Giggles. "I'll say. If your shorts are any indication, we should be able to get right to it." Slides shorts down and out of the way. "Oh my…I think this is going to be fun." Kisses him hard on the mouth, grasping his length in her hands.

Groans. "Shut up, Kara" Lifts her up and braces her back against the wall and then moves his hand between her legs. Hot and wet. "Ready?" She nods and he slides her over him sinking into her moist center with a moan. "Ah Gods, Kara."

She moves her hips, her back still against the wall. "Hot Lee…so hot…faster, please." Holds his shoulders and grinds against him as he pushes into her hard and fast, just like she requested. "Lords…good…so good."

Breathing harshly. Heat building. "Kara…Kara." Moving faster, pushing further inside, "Lords…"

Moans. "Lee…close…" Grinds harder, building friction. "Please…harder. Almost there." Leans forwards, kissing his shoulder. "Ah…more."

Uses a hand to lift her chin. Kisses her, melding his tongue with hers. Groans, breaking the kiss. "Hot…tight, so tight. Ah Gods, Kara." He moves faster and surges inside her. "Please, now." Groans again.

Nods head. "Oh yeah…now. Now." Slides over the edge, clamping around him, on a moan. "Gods, Lee." Breaths harshly, trying to catch her breath.

"Now, Kara." Pulses inside her one final time and then erupts, groaning her name again. "Kara."

"Oh my…that was…unbelievable." Kisses him again as the world rights itself and puts her feet on the floor.

Takes a step back. "Um, yeah…unbelievable." Grabs his shorts and steps back into them. "I can't believe we just did that." Picks up her flight suit and hands it to her. "Do you know how many regs we just broke?" Finds his suit and puts it on.

Zips up her suit, leaving her arms out. "Yeah, but aren't you feeling way more awake than before?" Giggles. "We could always blame it on lack of sleep."

Rolls his eyes. "We could, but I doubt they'd buy it." He chuckles. "We wouldn't see any brig time until this crisis with the Cylons is over though"

"How much time do we have?" Heads to the main corridor.

"Seven minutes. Pre-Flight Briefing in five. I'll see you there." Walks in the opposite direction.

"Right."

If anyone thought that the CAG and the Lieutenant had more energy than they should have, no one said anything.

FIN


	2. Chapter 2

Summary:

What happens with pilots when water rationing is finally over?

WATER

"Hey" Lee braces his arms on the bunk above Kara.

Kara opens her eyes and squints up at him. "If this isn't good, I'm going to hurt you. I just got off a maintenance shift that you scheduled me for." She glares for good measure.

Lee just grins at her. "We found it." He waits.

Kara's eyes grow big in shock. "Water? We found water." She sits up in her bunk almost whacking her head on edge. "Really?" She swings her feet over the edge. "Oh, you would not joke about this." She narrows her eyes at Lee. "Would you?"

Lee steps back holding his hands up in surrender. "No joke." He smiles a huge smile. "Come on." Stepping away from bunk. "Let's go."

Kara stands and starts to follow. "Go where?"

Lee turns around and whispers. "Showers. Now." Then he walks out door.

Kara bounces out behind him. "Lee. Wait." She hurries to catch up. "Has rationing stopped?"

Lee throws an arm around her shoulder and hugs her to him. "It has for us." Then he slides his hand down her arm and tugs her along behind him. "Hurry."

Kara lets out a laugh and then sobers. "Why?" She stops walking forcing Lee to stop also.

He turns towards her. "Right now everyone is celebrating on the hangar deck." Giving her a pointed look he adds. "We'll have the showers to ourselves."

Kara chooses to play coy. "And this would be important because?"

Lee says nothing, just gives her another pointed look.

"Right." Kara grabs his hand. "Let's go."

They enter the shower area laughing and stripping off their clothes as they go. They barely have the water on before they're in each other arms adding to the steam the hot water is generating. Their lips meld together, tongues dueling for access and when they break the kiss, they stand staring at each other.

Lee speaks first. "You have one chance to back out of this." His eyes darken with passion, waiting for a response.

Kara smiles a sultry smile and instead of speaking, she pulls his head to hers and runs her tongue over his bottom lip. She slides her hand down his back and pulls him close so they're skin to skin under the spray of the shower.

Lee rasps out a breath, then lifts Kara and backs her against the wall. He kisses his way down her throat feeling her swallow hard against his lips. He reaches her breasts and places nibbling kisses on both sensitive tips. He feels Kara's fingers in his hair as she quietly moans in response.

Kara slides down the wall and when her feet hit the tiles, she pulls Lee into another kiss that has him groaning. She slowly turns toward the wall, placing her hands against the still cool surface, and then she looks over her shoulder. "Now, Lee." She faces the wall again. "I want you now."

Lee gulps in a breath. He can't even say anything. Kara looking over her shoulder at him, saying she wants him, fulfills a fantasy he's long held regarding her. He steps up behind her, not touching her with his body. Instead he reaches forward and glides his hands over her hips and up her sides. Her skin is hot and his fingers tingle when they come into contact with her. He moves his hands forward and cups her breasts, causing her head to fall back against his shoulder. She whimpers slightly and Lee moves closer to her, pulling her back against him, trapping his erection between them. He shudders at the contact, then lowers slightly to slide into her.

Kara lets out a soft moan as Lee enters her. She can't believe this is finally happening and that it's as good as she has anticipated. Everywhere he touches her, she feels an almost electric current. She pushes back against him and feels nothing but firm, solid muscle. She tightens herself around him relishing in the friction building between them.

As Lee feels Kara tighten around him, he slows his pace down and grasps her hips, slowly pushing him deeper into her core. He groans when his hips meet her behind and he's in as deep as he possibly can be. As he begins to pull back, he runs his hands over Kara's breasts and feels her shudder as she lets out a moan.

Ah, Gods. He is killing her, Kara thinks as she moans. "Faster, Lee." She angles her head back to look him in the eyes. "Please, faster."

Lee's blood heats completely when she looks at him. He slips deep into her again and increases the pace of his thrusts. He holds onto her shoulders as he drives himself into her again and again, gasping out breaths when he remembers to breath. She's slick and wet and so very perfect around him and he knows he won't last long. He moves one of his hands down between her legs and gently brushes his fingers over the very center of her, losing a little of his control when she gasps out his name.

When Kara feels Lee's fingers rub over her she almost cries out at the feeling of pleasure that jolts right through her. "Frak, Lee." She gasps. "That's sooo goood." She pushes back against him and feels him bump against her. She's very close to spiraling out of control and she wants him to spiral with her. She tightens herself around him again and holds her hips still as he continues to slide up into her. She's rewarded with a moan and his quickening breaths as he uses both hands to drive faster against her. "Now, Lee. I'm ready now."

Lee loses control when she clenches herself around him again. He moans and feels himself fly out orbit as he empties himself into her. He feels her follow right behind him as her muscles tighten even more and she shudders all around him. He holds her hips against his with one hand and slides them to the floor under the water, not leaving her yet. He pulls her back against him while the shower rains over them as they both regain control of their bodies.

Kara slides off Lee as he softens inside her, and then faces him on the floor of the shower. She leans forward, kisses him, and then slowly stands. She turns the shower on next to them and steps under the spray, reluctantly washing away all traces of their encounter. She watches as Lee does the same, neither saying anything to each other, communicating without words.

Lee finishes before Kara does, so he hands her a towel after she turns the water off. They both head to the locker area and dress quietly in a companionable silence. When both are clothed, in an unspoken agreement, they sit at the table in the bunkroom. Lee pulls out a deck of cards and at Kara's nod, he deals two hands between them.

When the first stragglers start arriving from the celebration, they find the CAG and his lead pilot quietly arguing over which of them won the last hand played. All is normal…at least on the surface. As the showers start running, the revelers don't notice the sly smiles that pass between the two in a moment of shared remembrance.

FIN


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: The aftermath of Kara almost shooting Lee during the hostage situation.

BASTILLE DAY

Lee rounded the corner of a hallway in the Astral Queen to spy Kara pacing back and forth in one of the empty guardrooms. When she looked up and realized it was him she launched herself at him and slugged him, hard, in the arm. "What the frak is your problem?" He rubbed the spot she hit, but advanced toward her.

Kara was pissed. She almost shot him. "Are you STUPID?" Even with Lee advancing on her, making her retreat backwards, she couldn't stop herself from almost yelling at him. "I almost shot you!" She stopped when she hit the wall.

Lee stood toe to toe with Kara. "So you did." He put an arm on either side of her shoulders, effectively boxing her in. "Care to explain that one, Lieutenant?" He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

Kara pursed her lips together, before speaking. "I was under orders, Captain." Lee in close proximity was not a good thing for her when her adrenaline was pumping. "From your father." She dropped her gaze from his blue-eyed stare.

Lee gave a deep nod of understanding. "Ah…that explains it." When her gaze flew back to his in question, he continued. "You would've had some serious explaining to do if you had actually shot me."

Kara shoved her hands against his chest, but he was braced for it. "You're an ass, Lee." She made to duck under his arms, but he was ready for that, too. "Move. Now." Her frustration level was rising and she needed to be away from him. When he held steady, she finally ground out. "Your father has nothing to do with why I'm frakking pissed at you."

Lee narrowed his eyes at her. "So explain it, then" He wanted some answers. "You hit me, Kara. Care to tell me why?" He almost grinned when she groaned in aggravation. "It's a simple question."

Kara took a deep breath and instead of answering him she grabbed his shirts in her hand and pulled him into a kiss that left him breathless. He wanted an answer; she'd give him an answer, dammit. She could have killed him, for frak's sake and losing him was out of the question.

Lee wasn't expecting the kiss. Her lips against his caught him by surprise. When her hands moved up to cup his face, he flinched, breaking away from her. "Ow." He jerked his head in pain. "Watch the face, Kara."

She'd forgotten the nasty scrape on his left cheekbone. "Sorry." She kissed the area just under the wound. "Won't happen again." She moved her hands back down to his shirts and started sliding them up over his chest.

Lee grabbed her hands. "You want to do this, here?" Not that he was complaining. He had wanted her for a long time. Too long to put up much of an argument of where she chose to pursue whatever it was they had between them. "Now?" Again, not that he was arguing.

Kara just smirked at him. "Why not?" She was careful when she lifted the shirts over his head. "It's not the Galactica. It's quiet for the moment, what with all the celebrating going on with Zarek and his men down below." She lifted her own shirts off and then started on her pants. "I almost killed you today and I'm not waiting any longer." Frak, did any of that make sense. Kara didn't care because Lee was removing his own trousers and the more skin he exposed the less her brain wanted to think about this stuff.

Lee grinned. Gods, she was magnificent. He showered with her daily, but never, ever, took advantage of the fact. Looking at her now, he wished he had. "Notice, I'm not arguing." He could feel himself harden just from looking at her. His best guess was that neither of them would last long. "Not waiting's good." With that he pulled Kara against him, kissing her as he backed her against the wall, again. Sliding his hand between her legs, Lee groaned when he found her wet, slick and ready. He lifted her slightly and waited. The next move was hers.

Kara looked at him with heat filled eyes. She shifted her hips and slid herself over him without preamble, groaning when her hips met his. "Gods, Lee. That's incredible." She leaned in to capture his lips in a wicked kiss as she began writhing against him. Why the frak had they waited so long for this? He was hot steel slicing through her core and it was exquisite. Kara wrapped her arms and legs around him and let herself move at a breakneck pace. Her back braced against the wall increased the forceful grinding between them. "Oh, frak." Her head dropped to Lee's shoulder and she knew it was going to be a fast and hard ride, if he was feeling anything close to what she was.

Kara took all rational thought from Lee as soon as she sank over him. His shaft slid through her folds into liquid heat. She was tight, sleek and incredibly soft on the inside. He braced his thighs and held her hips with his hands as she leaned her back against the wall. She pulled him into a kiss that made the world go dark with the exception of her body wrapped around his. He met her frantic pace with thrusts of his own. "Lords, Kara." He muttered when her head hit his shoulder. "You're…ah…amazing." She needed to shoot at him more often if this was the result. His hand slid from her pelvic bone to cup her ass and pull her tighter against him, bringing her breasts in contact with his chest. "Ah, gods." He felt her shudder as she lifted her head to gaze at him with passion dazed eyes.

Kara relished the contact of his skin brushing along hers. Her head dropped back, just missing the wall, and she felt Lee's lips travel along the column of her throat. It kicked the heat up between them and when his breath hissed against her ear, she shivered at the warmth losing just a little more control. She pressed her back against the wall again and slid along his length, back and forth, until she thought she'd expire from the incredible bliss building inside her.

Lee was skittering along the edge of reason. Feeling Kara move over him was pushing his control to its limit. He pumped his hips, going deeper inside her and heard her breath catch on a gasp. Not long now, she had to be as close as he was. He drove up inside her again and again; his own breathing was now rasping out in short breaths. Her hips shifted down as her back arced away from the wall and Lee was lost. He held her steady against him, driving into her over and over until she tightened around his shaft with a spasm of clenching muscles.

They rode wave after wave of spiraling heat until both were spent from exertion. Sliding to the floor in a tangle of limbs, they held on to each other for support until they could both see straight again. Their lips met, tongues gained access and the whole process almost started over again.

Lee pulled away first. "Frak." He started to untangle himself from Kara. "You have no idea how much I want to continue this." As she giggled, he decided that maybe she did know. "I have, emphasis on have, to meet with the President in less than 30 minutes." Finished with the untangling, he reached for his clothes. "Rotten bad timing."

Kara watched Lee dress. "You always did have bad timing." She started pulling her own clothes back on.

Lee couldn't help it. "Um…who almost shot who today?" He ducked when she tossed a shoe at him. "Hey, I'll let you shoot at me all you want, if you follow it up with more of what just happened." Fully dressed now, he smoothed down the front of his uniform.

Kara rolled her eyes. "I won't miss next time." She grabbed her combat gear and tucked it under her arm. "If for no other reason than to shut you up." With that she headed for the exit.

Lee laughed at her retreating back. "We'll see about that." He stated, quickly scanning the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything and caught up to her as she was exiting.

As Lee fell into step beside her, Kara couldn't resist a parting shot. "Dream on, Captain. If I ever take aim at you again, it won't be for one of these." She used her free hand to pull Lee's head to hers. She then gave him a kiss full of promises and his body responded in kind. She slid her tongue along his lower lip before ending the kiss, thinking he was going to kill her when he realized what she had done. She winked at him before stepping out of his reach. "Good luck with your meeting." She only caught a glimpse of the reality when it hit Lee that his meeting with the President was going to be highly uncomfortable for him if he didn't get his body back under control.

Lee was caught between a desire to laugh at her or throttle her for leaving him in his current state. The laughter finally won out after he got a specific body part back to manageable proportions. He boarded his shuttle to Colonial One pondering ways to get even with her. Life was good.

FIN


	4. Chapter 4

Summary:

What led up to Lee and Kara's finger painting session? Let's find out…

ACT OF CONTRITION

Kara was looking for a spare helmet to decorate for Flat Top's 1000th landing. She'd checked everywhere else and this storage locker was the last place she could think of to find one that wasn't viable for flight anymore. Since they can't decorate any of their usable helmets, as there are no more replacements, Kara had the idea to grab an old one. It was important they continue with traditions, long established, to maintain some semblance of normalcy.

Unable to find one in the wire mesh lockers, she grabbed a small ladder and climbed up to look on top of them. Her problem was the lockers were deep and she couldn't quite see all the way in the back. "I know we have an extra helmet on this damn ship, somewhere." She stood on her tiptoes and hoisted herself up with her arms to see further back when the hatch opened and startled her. She kicked out with her foot knocking the ladder over. "Well, frak." This wasn't good. Her hold was tenuous at best on the top of the lockers.

Lee had been looking for Kara when he entered the storage locker, but he didn't expect to find her hanging onto the top of them trying to keep her balance and having little luck doing so. "Kara, what the hell." His eyes took in the sight of the toppled ladder and he was trying to decide if he should try to get it upright or just give Kara a hand when the decision was made for him. She had turned when he said her name and then lost her precarious balance when her hand slid off the top of the lockers. He sprang into action and rushed to break her fall, catching her in his arms before she hit the floor. It was nicely done, if he did think so himself.

Kara was expecting to hit the floor hard, so when she ended up in Lee's arms instead, it was a surprise. She raised startled eyes to see him grinning proudly at her. She rolled her eyes. "Smooth, Lee." She wriggled a little. "Now put me down." They had a celebration to get ready for.

Lee grinned down at Kara. "Uh uh." He tightened his hold when she began to squirm. "I've got you right where I want you for the moment." He turned and walked toward a cluttered table. "And whatever happened to 'Thanks for saving my ass?'" He used his elbow to clear a spot, then turned and sat on the edge, Kara still in his arms.

Kara stopped trying to extract herself. "Considering I was trying to save your ass, you should be thanking me." She was enjoying this side of Lee. It had been too long since she'd seen it.

Lee shot her a confused look. "What exactly were you trying to save my ass from?" He had no idea what she was talking about, but he was having too much fun with her to let her go just yet.

Kara just shook her head sadly. "I was looking for a helmet for Flat Top's big celebratory landing, since you obviously have no idea what's going on." When Lee just gave her a smug look, she realized that he did have a clue. Uh oh, she was in for it now.

Lee leaned back and sat her up on his lap. "I already have a helmet, Lieutenant." He shifted her on his lap positioning her so she was facing him. "Any other snide remarks?"

Kara closed her eyes and bit back a grin. He had her. "All right…I'll figure out an appropriate way to thank you, later." She made a move to slide of his lap.

Lee tightened his hold on her again. He wasn't quite finished yet. "I can think of a very inappropriate way for you to thank me." He leaned his head toward her. "Right now." When she opened her mouth to utter a comeback, Lee slanted his mouth over hers. It was a very effective way to shut her up, besides he probably wouldn't have another opportunity like this…ever.

The helmet was forgotten. They'd been dancing around this for years. Kara opened her mouth and slid her tongue along Lee's lower lip as she leaned into the kiss. She became the aggressor, backing down off his lap, she pulled him upright and started tugging at his shirt. "Off. Now." She stepped back and slid her sweatshirt off, then started on her tanks.

Lee made short work of his shirt and as he watched Kara peel off her shirts, he pulled her to him and kissed her again. His lips slid to her shoulder and his hands began to unbutton her pants. "We're going to do this?" He pushed her pants down as far as they would go.

Kara stepped out of her fatigues. "We're going to do this." She reached forward and ran her finger down Lee's chest and stopped at the waistband of his sweatpants. Looking up at him, she queried, "Think you can handle it?" Then she grinned because he was beyond having a choice now.

Lee shoved his sweats down his legs and quickly stepped out of them. "Oh, I can handle it." His hands cupping her face, he drew her to him and his mouth hovered just above hers. "And then some." He gave her a feral smile before crushing her lips with his. Oh Gods, it was even better than he expected. Frantic need rushed through him and he molded her to his body pulling her against him as he backed to the table.

Even though Kara knew he was going to kiss her, she didn't expect her response to flare out of control. Frak she wanted him now. Breaking their kiss, she moved past Lee and sat on the table. As she reclined back, she hooked her leg around his and pulled him to her. "I want you." She reached up and brought his face close to hers. "Now."

Lee wasn't about to deny her. He placed his hands on either side of her waist and then he leaned down to her breast. He pulled the rosy peak between his lips as he slipped himself inside her. He smothered a groan at the feel of her closing around him. "Gods, Kara." His lips moved to her other breast. "Oh, Gods." Lee held his breath. He wanted to drive into her forcefully, but held himself in check searching Kara's face for reaction.

Kara smiled in satisfaction. It was even better than she thought it would be. He filled her completely and when he moved against her, she felt it to her toes. "Oh…it's good." Kara moaned when he drew back. She wanted him to move fast and hard, so she wrapped her legs around him, not letting him get too far away. "I need it fast, Lee." She sucked in a breath when he plunged back inside her. Oh, that was exactly what she was looking for. They had waited for so long, she doubted either of them would last long.

Lee began to move against her with short, hard strokes. The feeling was indescribable for him. All he knew was that he was finally inside her and she was urging him to move faster. It was beyond anything he had anticipated in the many dreams he'd had of them together. "Kara…" He couldn't even think of coherent words. "Ah…Kara." She was there with him, with her legs wrapped around him and he could barely keep it together, he wanted to explode in her so badly.

Kara's mind was lost somewhere between reality and fantasy. She knew it was real because her fantasies had never been this exquisite. The feeling of Lee moving within her topped any dream she'd ever come up with. She wanted to scream that fact to him, but relegated herself to moaning his name instead. Every time he moved against her, tiny shockwaves gathered in her core. She was so close to the edge it amazed her. Never had she reached the brink of orgasm this quickly. She pushed herself up on her elbows and planted kisses on Lee's chest as she met his thrusts with her hips. Oh gods, it was going to be close. She could feel herself pushing toward release and knew that when it came it was going to be intense.

Lee could sense that Kara was close, as close as he was. He could feel her trembling beneath him as her muscles started the clench around his length. He had a fleeting thought that they so needed to do this again. Soon. Much more than he dreamed, he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. The feel of her was like silk and more than he, a mere mortal, could fathom for any length of time. He looked at her and begged with his eyes for her to say the word. She nodded at him and he watched as she let go, shuddering against him and around him and it drew him over the edge with her. He relinquished his control and exploded inside her, sliding into a bliss-filled state that pulled the air from his lungs in gasps of breath. He collapsed against her for a moment while he willed himself to breathe again.

As Kara drifted back into awareness, she felt Lee's weight against her and wished they had more time. She knew once wasn't going to be enough with him. She hugged him close to her as she began pondering if they had time to continue this insanity. When he lifted himself up on his elbows, she sighed. They didn't have time. Flat Top was probably landing his Raptor at this very moment. She lifted herself up on her elbows as Lee stood back looking at her. She knew what was on his mind and she decided to play a little. "What?" She sat up the rest of the way with a smirk on her face and made a show of looking for her clothes.

Lee caught the smirk and decided to beat her to the punch. "I'd say that's a good start as a thank you." He gathered their clothing and handed hers over. "I'm thinking we really need to pick this up again later for a truly proper display of gratitude." He laughed at the look on her face.

Kara acknowledged the point to him with a slight nod of her head. "You mean after we present Flat Top with his fully decorated helmet?" When Lee's face fell she added, "You do have the helmet ready to go, right?" Score one for her.

Lee realized how little time they had to get this done. But she was going to help him. "Uh, no I don't have it decorated…come on…you're helping." He pushed her out the door and took off at a light jog, tossing over his shoulder. "I'll owe you for this one. Come on, Starbuck, get moving." He turned back around, knowing she would be following.

Kara just laughed. Men. "You probably don't even have the helmet." When he turned around and said that yes, he did have it, she stated. "Prove it." Then hurried to catch up to him.

They burst through the door of the pilot's quarters, laughing. Lee went and opened his locker. "Helmet." He sat it on the table and tapped it for good measure.

Kara was glad he actually had the damn thing, but they still had to decorate it. "You are so unprepared."

Lee was reaching for a dress sash in his locker. "Shut up." He pulled it out and pointed at Kara.

Kara laughed. "You're the worst CAG in the history of CAGs, actually." She was grabbing her sash out of her locker. "Did you remember the paint?"

Lee hadn't remembered it. "Frak. Forgot it." He knew where some was. "I'll get it. Stay put." He dashed out into the hallway and snagged a can from one of the scaffolds down the corridor. "Red paint, incoming." He began to take the lid off the can.

Kara started looking around for something to paint with. "Brush?" She placed her palms on the table and leaned toward him.

Frak. "Brush…brush, ah…" He laughed. They'd figure something out.

Kara groaned. "Oh…you are the worst." She shook her head for emphasis. "The absolute worst."

Lee looked for anything they could use. He had nothing. He held up his finger. "Ah…finger." He dipped it in the paint and started painting the number 1000 on the helmet.

Since she had no choice, Kara joined in the fun. That was why, when the Commander arrived to meet them for the ceremony, he found his two top pilots finger-painting in the pilot's quarters.

FIN


	5. Chapter 5

Summary:

I think the writer's just forgot to put this scene in the show…how could Lee possibly pass up an offer to give Kara a bath??

YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN

As Lee walked toward Sickbay with purposeful strides, he rewound his last conversation with Kara in his head.

Kara was on the cot getting ready to be wheeled to Sickbay. She looked better than she should after almost dying from lack of oxygen. "Heh, like my new toy?" She was in high spirits for the moment, but that wouldn't last long.

Lee looked her over, all in one piece; he still couldn't believe she had made it back. He and his father hadn't wanted to call off the search. "Boy, when you take a souvenir, you don't screw around." He pulled the blanket up over her, catching a very unpleasant whiff of her as he did so. "Oh my God, you smell like a latrine." He scrunched his face up.

Kara knew what he meant. He should've been in the Raider itself. Talk about stinky. She couldn't wait to get clean. Maybe Lee would like to help out with that. "Hmm…Wanna give me a bath?" She must be getting delirious…she didn't actually say that out loud, did she? She giggled when Lee didn't reply. She would have missed his answer anyhow as they were wheeling her away. It was just as well. No one should take her seriously right now. Gods, it was good to be back.

Thinking she was gone for good had affected him greatly. He was done wondering 'what if' and he grinned to himself. She was going to be surprised when she saw what he had planned for her.

Kara sat soaking in the metal tub that had been filled for the third time. She finally felt clean, but she could still smell the stench of the Raider. It was as if the scent was permanently imbedded in her nose. She shuddered and winced at the movement. Lords she ached in places she didn't think it was possible to ache in. But she was blessedly alone, at least for a while. It had taken her threatening to do bodily harm to the medical staff, once she was back on her feet, to get them to just go away already. She gingerly sank down in the tub, watching to make sure her knee didn't get bumped. She let out a huge sigh and closed her eyes only to have them snap back open. Someone was in the room with her.

"I thought I told you to leave me in peace for the next thirty minutes." She sat back up again, slower than she would have liked. "Don't make me get out of this tub and hurt you." She almost laughed at that. She wouldn't be injuring anybody for a while.

"Is that any way to speak to a superior officer, Lieutenant?" Lee stepped out of the shadows dressed in casual workout clothes. He had a towel draped around his neck and a bottle of soap in one hand and the biggest, fluffiest sponge Kara had seen since her last shore leave in the other hand.

She sat there stupefied. "What the frak are you doing here?" She felt like her body was floating as she watched him walk closer. Maybe it was the painkillers the medic had given her right before she left. Oh gods, was she hallucinating? It was supposed to take at least half an hour for the meds to take effect…that's why they were only giving her that amount of time alone.

Lee ambled his way over to her, amazed anew that she was back with them. "Wow. Nice greeting from someone who asked me if I wanted to give them a bath." He stooped down along side the tub and ran his finger through the water. "Change your mind?" He was almost giddy with the excitement of finally getting his hands on her.

Kara was sitting in a tub, naked, and her nightly fantasy was right next to her. "Is this really happening?" She cocked her head to the side to see if Lee was still there. "You're really here, aren't you?" She shook her head. If he wasn't here, she was going to find a way to keep a supply of whatever the hell it was they gave her on hand.

Lee chuckled. "I'm really here, Kara." He slid his hand over her shoulder, relishing the feel of her flesh against his fingers. "See. Real skin against skin." He sat back to look at her. "What did they give you for the pain, anyway?" He was hoping to keep her off-guard, but he didn't want her incoherent.

Overcome with a modesty she didn't know she possessed, Kara sank down in the tub a little, being careful with her knee. "Um…I'm not sure, but since you are actually here, it doesn't matter." Her brow wrinkled. "Do you really think you're going to give me a bath?" Was he insane? Was she, for wanting the bath?

Lee dropped the sponge in the water with her. "That's my plan." He found an examination stool, wheeled it over to the edge of the tub and sat down on it. "Any objections?" He opened the bottle of soap, that he traded a shift on CAP for, and let the clean scent hit Kara. "This sure smells better than the sickbay cleanser they use here." He waved it under her nose, hoping she would be too tempted to make him leave. He really wanted to give her this treat.

Kara closed her eyes with a sigh of pleasure. Oh gods, it smelled heavenly and she could still smell the stench of the Raider. "Oh. You are so giving me a bath with that stuff." She lifted the sponge out of the water and handed it to him. "Where the frak did you get that?" She waited impatiently for Lee to get started, craving the feel of that sponge along with his touch.

Lee squeezed out a healthy amount of the soap onto the sponge. "I picked up a shift on CAP to get this." He started with her injured leg, gently rubbing the sponge over the bruised area, his heart aching for her. Then he switched over to the other leg. It was banged up also, but her knee wasn't seven lovely shades of the rainbow on this one. He was so lucky she had made it back.

Kara groaned at the contact on her non-injured leg. It didn't hurt; on the contrary, Lee practically caressed it with the sponge. "Oh, that's nice." She smiled at him. "You're good at this, Captain." She couldn't resist asking. "Previous experience?" She wasn't sure she even wanted to know the answer to that.

Her question caught him off-guard. "Um, it's possible." He paused on her leg. He wasn't going to answer her directly. He wanted to focus only on her, not what may or may not have occurred in the past. "Do you really want to discuss my infinite bathing skills right now?" He chuckled when she quickly shook her head no. He went back to work on her leg, sliding the sponge over her thigh, admiring the sleekness under the scrapes and bruises.

Kara wondered just how far Lee was going to take this little plot of his. She was beginning to feel the effects of the pain meds and it was like drinking shot after shot of ambrosia…nothing she wasn't already used to. It was, however, making her crave more than just a bath from him, if the wetness between her legs was any indication. She remembered her knee and cursed silently to herself. No way was she going to be able to do any of the interesting things sifting through her mind at the moment. Well frak. Lee had finished her thigh and started on her neck and shoulders. Water from the sponge cascaded down over her collarbone and slid into the valley between her breasts. She moved her neck back and forth as the sponge drifted over her skin. She could get used to having someone do this for her. The fact that it was Lee only heightened her desire to have it be an ongoing treat.

Lee gently moved Kara forward so he could reach all the way down her back. She had some serious bruising on the lower part, which she must have picked up from being dragged by her ejection chute. He shuddered at how much pain she must be in and thanked the gods that she had made it back to them, more specifically to him. He sank the sponge in the tub again and began on her upper arm becoming consumed with the play of her skin against his fingers. Kara moved slowly to lean back against the end of the tub, using the other arm to steady her balance and not shift the injured knee around. He had her do the same when he started on the other arm, lightly caressing her as he moved the sponge with feather light strokes.

Kara was thoroughly relaxed. Between the meds and Lee's bathing skills, she was hard pressed to even remember she was injured and should be hurting badly. She glanced up and watched him focus the task of skimming the sponge over her skin. Her skin tingled where his fingers held fast while the puff of fluffiness glided smoothly along her arm. She could feel her temperature rising and was thankful her lower body was under the water. She shuddered inwardly…gods; it wasn't the paid meds. Lee was making her desire more than the lovely smelling bath he was providing. She glanced at the clock on the wall. If he finished soon, she might be able to take care of the little issue between her legs before the stupid medics came back for her.

Lee noticed her look at the clock. "When are they coming to spring you?" He added more soap to the sponge. There was one more area he hadn't taken care of yet and he wasn't leaving until it was done. It was why he came here after all.

Kara sighed. "They're coming in fifteen minutes." It would be barely enough time for her to find some relief. It was all she could do not to squirm around in the tub. She knew her knee wouldn't take the jostling, so she forced herself to remain still.

Lee could tell Kara was reacting to him and he was pleased. Fifteen minutes should be just enough time for what he had in mind. He had Kara lean back against the tub and he gently started just below her chin with the sponge. He worked his way down to her shoulders and when he slid the sponge lower, he felt Kara's hands on his and he heard her breath hitch. He gazed at her for a moment in an unspoken conversation. This was all about her and she needed to be okay with that. At the slight nod of her head, he moved her hands away from his and softly skimmed over her breasts with the sponge. Gods, she was incredible.

Kara groaned. Seemed she wasn't going to have to take care of anything…Lee had every intention of doing the job himself. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. She was excited because Lee's hands were on her and terrified because they were crossing a line that wasn't supposed to be crossed. The sponge drifted over breasts and down her tummy. It was dunked back in the water and when it was twisted, with the water raining down over her front, she shivered in desire. Hands replaced the sponge and started at her shoulders, gently kneading the smooth expanse. Fingers gently slid down over her breasts and lightly tugged at her sensitive nipples. Kara dropped her head back on the edge of the tub and moaned in response. Lords, he hadn't even kissed her and she was excited beyond belief. As one hand continued paying attention to her breasts, the other glided over her ribs and down to her hips. Kara tensed a little in anticipation. She was going to have to watch the knee, but she was so ready for a little release.

Lee had carefully shifted his position so his arm supported Kara's injured knee, leaving his hand free to cup her breasts. The other hand drifted slowly towards the center of her and when his fingers grazed over the bundle of nerves right at her core, he grinned at Kara's response. He maintained light pressure on the nub and slid a finger gently inside her, she was very primed for this. He watched her grasp the sides of the tub for support as she lifted her head to gaze at him. Her eyes changed color and Lee smiled that he was the cause of it. He added a second finger and gently began the push-pull that would eventually send her careening into bliss. Keeping his shoulder steady, holding her gaze, he brushed his fingers over the tips of her breasts. He used the palm of his other hand to keep a steady pressure at her center, while his fingers slid back and forth making her breathing quicken at the increased pace. Her response to him wasn't leaving him unaffected, but his aim to please her was going to be his satisfaction.

Kara could feel herself sliding on the edge of oblivion. Lee's fingers were moving at a rapid pace and the constant pressure of his palm was causing her whole body to tingle with awareness. She sucked in a breath of air when his fingers brushed over her nipples again. She could feel her muscles begin to clench in anticipation of release and her eyes slid shut when she finally succumbed to the need to hurtle over the edge of reason. She gripped the sides of the metal tub and shuddered as she came against his hand moaning his name. His shoulder supported her injured knee and her hips slid further down in the tub seeking more contact with the magic of his fingers. When she finally relaxed her tensed muscles, she opened her eyes to find Lee grinning down at her. She watched as he gingerly slid his arm from under her leg and smiled back at him.

Watching her find her shatter gave Lee a momentary sense of awe. It was a beautiful thing to behold and he was very pleased with himself. Not only had he caught her off-guard, he had fulfilled one of his many fantasies regarding her. Almost losing her had spurred him to take a chance and now that he had, he was ready to throw caution to the wind and start on the rest of said list of fantasies. He looked down at Kara, who was still smiling at him. "I'm very glad you're back with us." He picked up her hand and laced his fingers with hers. Losing her now was not an option he cared to contemplate.

Kara didn't know what to say. He had just given her one of the most incredible orgasms she'd ever had and all her mind could think of was how long it would take her to get back into some semblance of shape so they could take things further. She squeezed his fingers. "It's very good to be back." She tugged him toward her and lifted her head for a kiss. Their mouths met and she slid her tongue over his bottom lip, which made him moan against her mouth. She deepened the kiss and silently told him her intentions to continue this at a later date. When she pulled away, she cupped the side of his face with her hand. "You need to come and see me later." She glanced at the clock. "It's almost time for them to come get me. You should probably get out of here." She trailed her hand down his arm, and then settled back in the tub.

Lee gathered up the items he came with and moved the stool back to where he found it. "I'll check in with you after I fly CAP this evening." He stooped by the tub again. "Try to take it easy and not drive the medical staff crazy." He chuckled and gave her a lingering kiss. "I don't want to have to throw you in the brig for being a pain in the ass." He melted back into the shadows to the sound of her laughter.

FIN


	6. Chapter 6

Summary:

Based on a deleted scene…cause this one was very pilot light. Kara gets bored in sickbay and has some interesting visitors…

LITMUS

A bomb. A frakking bomb on board Galactica. That was the second time the ship had been rocked by an explosion. What would be next…poison in the food supply? Lee had these thoughts as he made his way down to sickbay to see how many pilots the explosion on C-Deck affected. As he walked into the emergency area it was total chaos. Injured were spread out on cots and medical staff were running to and fro trying to assist the worst cases first. Lee took a moment to scan the room. Most of the injured were from enlisted ranks. That was going to hurt the CIC duty roster. He would have to see about getting some of the pilots to cover shifts where necessary. He had stopped a technician to get a sitrep when Kara shouted at him and motioned him over to her.

Kara hated being immobile, but her knee was still frakked up. She kept hearing about an explosion and suicide bomber and wanted some answers. As Lee walked toward her she knew he would fill her in on the situation. "Hey, is it true? A suicide bomber?" What the frak was happening on the ship?

Lee leaned on the side rail of the cot. "Yeah, it looks that way. Took out half a causeway on C-level." She looked better, more mobile than when they had first wheeled her into sickbay. She had been steadily improving.

Kara racked her brain trying to figure out what the bomber could have been after. She had nothing. "What the hell's on C-level worth blowing yourself up for?" Hmmm…wasn't Baltar's lab on C-level?

Lee scanned the chaos before answering. "Beats me…empty cargo holds mostly." He looked back at Kara. "But the way I hear it, we got lucky, the XO and the old man stopped whoever it was before he got where he was going." Frak, he needed to get moving. "Listen…I gotta go." He hated leaving her, knew it was killing her to not be in on the action involving getting everyone cleared from the debris and finding out what was going on.

Kara waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine." Frak…look at the mess that frakker left behind. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much, but it did. Maybe because she wasn't able to do anything about it, it frustrated her that much more. She already hated having to stay in sickbay, but she wasn't ready to start physical therapy on her knee just yet. Not all of the swelling had gone down completely. Hopefully Lee would come by to see her later and fill in the details. He'd taken to stopping in daily to give her the rundown of what was happening with the pilots. Now she looked forward to seeing him each day.

Four hours later, Lee walked into Kara's small space in sickbay with a tired look in his eyes. Kara could tell the news would be grim. "Pull the curtain, Lee." She scooted over on the bed, wincing when her knee brushed against the side rail. "Come on. Sit." She patted the empty space beside her.

Lee let out a heavy sigh as he pulled the curtains, giving them privacy. "Gods Kara, it's ugly." He kicked his shoes off and carefully slid up on the bed beside her. It was a tight fit, but Lee put his arm around Kara and tucked her against his shoulder. "We lost 3 souls, 13 more injured. It's going to be crowded in here for awhile." His pained smiled was anything but amused. It really wasn't something to joke about.

Kara could tell Lee was upset by the day's events. They all were. "I heard it was a Cylon agent." At Lee's nod, she continued. "So, the toasters look like us now, that bites." It was scary to have that information confirmed. Any one of them could be a Cylon. Any one of the entire fleet could be one. "Kind of makes you look at the universe differently, doesn't it?" She shivered against the pull of fear…the deck had just been stacked against them and it looked like they were holding the losing hand.

Lee tilted Kara's chin up so he could see her face. "It makes you think, that's for sure." His voice was slightly husky. "Also makes you appreciate what's right in front of you." Her face registered shock and her gaze held his. "Right now, that happens to be you." He lowered his head and caught her lips with his. The kiss was tentative as he wasn't sure of her reaction but she responded by sliding her tongue in his mouth stroking it against his. The kiss deepened and Lee's body reacted. Frak. This wasn't what she needed right now. She was still recuperating from almost dying and parts of him could care less about that. His brain finally won the battle and he pulled away from her.

Kara let out a whimper when Lee broke their kiss. What the hell, she was just getting warmed up and he backed off? Then she realized why. He was afraid he'd hurt her. She knew him well enough to know that's what was holding him back. "Lee, don't." He was making a move to slide off the bed. "I want this. I want it now." She grabbed his arm and he turned to stare at her. "I'm serious. I want you to stay here with me and finish what we just started." She leaned forward and pulled his head to hers and claimed his lips in a heated kiss.

Oh Gods. She couldn't be thinking of having sex right here, could she? Apparently so, her hands were pulling his shirt out of his pants. He pulled away again. "Kara…we can't do this here. What about your knee?" He flicked a glance at her braced leg. "You can't have much mobility, yet." If she didn't stop moving her hands against his skin, he was going to lose the argument.

Kara was now determined that they would indeed to it right there. "Okay, I have limited range with the leg, but what do I need it for?" She had his shirt completely unbuttoned now and had started working on his pants. "You'll just have to be careful." Her lips curved in a slow, sultry smile as she pondered how slowly he'd have to move when he was inside her. "It's going to happen, Lee." She started inching his pants down and grinned when he lifted his hips off the bed so she could slide them the rest of the way off along with his boxers. Her hand closed around his shaft and she could tell from his reaction that she had won the battle. "Live with it and like it."

Arguing with her wasn't going to accomplish anything so he shifted to his side and slid his hand up under her tank tops. "Kara." He pushed her shirts up as she murmured in response. "Shut up." He leaned down and flicked his tongue over her nipple and she moaned quietly. He reached down and drew the blanket at the end of her bed up over them. He'd been waiting for this for a long time. He just never dreamed he'd end up being with her in a hospital bed. He moved to her other breast and sucked the nipple into his mouth. Kara grabbed his head and bucked her hips. He slid his hand over her stomach and started pushing her shorts down. She quickly took over and worked one leg out while he continued lavishing attention on her breasts. Once her leg was free, Lee's hand glided between her legs and his fingers found her center. She was already slick and wet and his fingers automatically sought the nub right at her core.

When Lee's fingers brushed over her clit, Kara almost cried out from the sheer need it spiraled through her. Her hands tugged his head up and her lips searched for his. She cupped his face and pulled him into a kiss that set fire to her blood. His fingers were magic, but she had to feel him, all of him, inside her. Now. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as her hips moved against his hand. He had to know she was dying for him to enter her.

Kara's kiss shattered Lee's restraint. Her fingers digging into his shoulders and her writhing hips told him she was more than ready. He slowly rose over her as he slid her hips toward the center of the bed. He was worried about her leg, but it was back in the far reaches of his mind. Front and center was Kara, her eyes filled with passion as he gazed at her. He carefully moved into position between her legs and hovered for just a moment, committing the look on her face to his memory. Then he lowered his head and caught her gasp with his lips as he simultaneously entered her in one fluid stroke.

Kara had always wondered how being with Lee would feel and now she knew. It was beyond anything she'd ever imagined. He was hot and hard and filled her completely. When he slowly drew back she thought she would come unglued right then and there. She didn't. He moved forward again and the exquisite feel of him made her groan into his mouth. She pushed her hips against his and wrapped her good leg around him. She drew him forward, deeper into her and she could feel her belly tighten in response.

Lee was beyond thought. It was all feelings and nerve endings come alive. His lips hovered over Kara's catching every moan, gasp and hiss. She was so incredibly soft and he felt every slow thrust bring him closer to losing control. If he died tomorrow he would die a happy man. Desire was taking over and the pull of her body made it difficult to remember she was still injured. He tried to stay unhurried but every plunge forward made him burn to drive into her faster and harder. He was just about to lose his battle with control when he felt Kara clench tightly around his shaft and heard her breath catch. He grabbed her lips in a kiss that smothered her quiet cries then it was her lips that caught his groan as he found his own release deep inside her.

Kara felt sated and lethargic. She'd had an idea that if she and Lee ever hooked up it would be like spontaneous combustion. It wasn't far from the truth. She looked up at him as he caught his breath, his weight supported on his elbows, head lowered while he quietly tried to get his lungs to fill again. When he lifted his eyes to hers, she smiled a very pleased smile.

Lee shook his head at her and eased off of her onto his side. "You're a very bad influence on me." He really didn't mind. He propped his head on his elbow and just looked at her. Gods, she was incredible. His world seemed a little more right than it had when he walked in earlier.

Kara just grinned at him. "I aim to please." She gave him an exaggerated wink. "Myself." As he moved off the bed to gather his pants, she took the time to get herself back into her own shorts while he dressed back in uniform. She had to ask. "Any regrets?" She'd kill him if he said yes. She felt better than she had since she brought the Raider back from the moon.

Lee looked at her as if she'd gone bug-frak gonzo. "Kara, I'd stay here all night if I didn't know the medical staff would be coming to do their rounds soon." He sat on the bed facing her. "No. No regrets." He leaned forward and gave her a lingering kiss. "I'll be back tomorrow." He squeezed her hand then got up and opened the curtains. He turned back and smiled again before he walked around the corner and down the hall out of sickbay.

Thirty minutes later, Kara was resting and had her eyes closed, when she heard footsteps coming toward her area. A small smile curved her lips. Maybe Lee couldn't stay away. She opened her eyes to the see…Baltar? What the frak did he want?

Gaius Baltar was fascinated with Kara Thrace. "Hello, Lieutenant" She had to be bored sitting here in sickbay all day.

Kara groaned inwardly. "Doctor." She wasn't going to encourage a lengthy visit.

Baltar was a little tongue-tied. He never knew what she was thinking. "I, uh, brought you a cigar…recovery gift." Recovery gift? He plunged onward. "Uh, how are you?"

Kara flashed back to Lee poised above her. She sucked in a breath. "I'm good. The uh…" She was thinking 'sex is good' but changed it to, "food is good." She smiled thinking of Lee sliding into her. "Company's better." When it's not you.

Baltar came closer to her. "So, I just happened to be nowhere near sickbay." He was being smarmy as he grasped the curtain and started pulling it around her bed. "But I thought I would see how you were doing." He raised his eyebrows in question.

She wanted to say she was doing great because she had just been frakked senseless by the CAG. Instead she rolled her eyes and said the first thing she can think of to make him leave. "So doctor, your super secret project is on C-Deck, right?" She smirked as she said it.

Baltar preened. "I'm not at liberty to divulge exactly what I am doing on C-Deck." He shot her a rakish look. "But you're more than welcome to, uh, pop by once you're ambulatory."

Oh Gods, he'd actually leered at her. Kara shuddered inwardly. "The bomber was on C-Deck, right?" She was going to enjoy bringing him down.

Baltar glanced away from her. "Yes, I know. I heard the explosion." He twitched just a little. "Very frightening."

Kara asks as innocently as she can manage. "Do you think that's where he was headed?" She watches as to see if the realization of her meaning will hit him.

Baltar glances at her. "I'm sorry, I…I don't follow you." He does, but can't admit it just yet.

Kara pressed on. "The Cylon bomber. Do you think he was trying to blow up your project?" She leaned back in satisfaction.

Baltar got even twitchier. "It's funny. I…uh…hadn't thought of that." The color drained from his face and he stopped short for a moment.

Kara tried to keep the amusement from her face. "Kinda hits you where you live, huh?" She failed at keeping the laughter out of her voice.

Baltar started to back away. "Yes, it does, actually." He paused just a moment. "Um…you get well soon." Then he fled out the door as he reached his hand behind him as if he were grasping for something.

Kara stared after him a moment then turned her head to the side wondering how she became the object of his fascination. She forced Baltar's image out of her mind and settled on pondering Lee's next visit, willing the swelling to go down completely so she could get cracking on the physical therapy. Who knew how much more incredible the sex would be once she was back to being 100. Her lips curved in a smile and she settled back in her bed to conjure all the lovely things she would do with Lee once she was back on her feet.

FIN


	7. Chapter 7

Summary:

An add-in scene from the episode. What happens when Kara disregards Cottle's advice and keeps working on her new 'toy' Raider?

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

Kara was well and truly frakked. She had been inside the Raider most of the day, working out the flight systems with the Chief and Cally. They had both gone for dinner and Lee had left a long time ago. Now she was ready to head back to sickbay and let the medical staff yell at her for not keeping her leg flexible. Her problem was…she couldn't get out of the damn thing.

Kara tried to scoot backwards to slide out of the confined area she was in. It was her fifth attempt to get out and she was getting frustrated. She tried lifting her leg over the hump but kept hitting the top of the Raider, her knee had stiffened and she couldn't flatten her leg out enough to get past the barrier. Frak, frak, frak. Why hadn't she made it a point to move in and out of the stupid ship on a frequent basis? For that matter, why had she let the insane urge to help the Chief figure out the Raider's systems drive her to leave sickbay in the first place? She knew the answer to that. Lee. She had basically told him to frak off when he tried to be there for her when she made her first tentative attempt to get back on her feet. She hated being weak. She really hated being weak in front of Lee. She had finally refused to even try and Lee left in exasperation. She regretted not having his company but she was scared, damn it. What if she didn't get it together? The possibility of not being able to fly was freaking her out.

She was having a perfectly good time feeling sorry for herself when Colonel Tigh showed up. Gods, the attitude he had toward her just irritated her to no end. She may have told him the reverse psychology wouldn't work, but it did. Kara had no doubt that Lee was behind the Colonel's visit and while she didn't give a good damn what Tigh thought of her, the fact that she was proving him right was the incentive she needed to get up and moving. That and her need to be involved with discovering the Raider's secrets. Leave it to Lee to be responsible for the position she was in now…stuck in a Raider with no help in sight.

Kara dropped her head in defeat. She wasn't getting out by herself. She let out a frustrated groan and pounded on the underbelly of the ship. "Frak it all!" Her head connected with the top of the Raider and part of her hair got stuck. "Owww!" She yanked on the stands and ended up pulling most of them out of her head. "Damn, damn, damn!" Tears pricked behind her eyelids and she wished the day would just end.

Lee listened to Kara's frustrated groan and almost chucked until he heard her cry of pain. Concern etched his features as he crouched under the Raider to see if he could help. She'd probably lash out at him if he played the concerned CAG, so he opted to go for the annoying best friend. "Don't tell me you're letting that thing kick your ass, Starbuck." He poked his head through the opening and hoped she didn't have something she could throw at him.

Hearing Lee's voice hit all of Kara's buttons. It was his fault she was stuck in this monstrosity and he had way too much humor in his voice to make her relieved someone was finally here. She angled her head around and snarled. "Frak off. I'm not beaten yet." Oh, she shouldn't be yelling at him. A verbal sparring match wasn't going to get her out of the Raider and she really wanted out.

Okay, she was pissed, apparently at him. The friend thing hadn't worked so he just raised his eyebrows. "So you don't need me to slay any dragons? Okay." He started to back out and leave her alone. If her mood was any indication, his hope that she'd begin to bounce back if she had a project was moot.

Kara really needed to stop letting her anger get the better of her. "Lee. Wait." She heaved out a frustrated sigh. "I can't get out. Please get me out of here." She hoped she didn't sound as needy as she felt.

Shit. No wonder she was in a foul mood Lee thought as he stepped toward the Raider again. "What can I do?" He didn't want to make it worse. "Is it the knee?" He wondered if she had followed Doc Cottle's stipulation of taking frequent breaks? Of course she hadn't. She wouldn't be Kara if she had.

No matter how they did this, it was going to hurt like hell. Kara inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. "Can you grab my hips?" If she weren't trying to steel herself against the pain she knew was coming she would have laughed. That was a hell of a question to ask your CAG.

Lee had to take a moment before answering. Her simple question had just sent a bolt of lust right through him. He shook his head and sucked in a breath then he cleared his throat. "Um, sure." He reached in through the access area and grasped her hips. "Now what?" He closed his eyes against the images popping in his head.

Kara's shirts had ridden up while she had struggled to get herself out and Lee's hands were warm against her skin. She tingled with awareness. Frak, she thought. He had touched her a million times before and she'd never had this reaction. "Uh…give me a sec." She was still fighting down a wave of heat. The pain must be throwing her off balance. That was it. It had to be.

She braced her arms against the interior of the Raider. She figured if she pushed back while Lee tugged her over the barrier, the pain would be tolerable. Any way it happened, her leg was going to get straightened out and it was going to hurt. She angled her head around again. "Try lifting me over that hump while I push away from the front of this frakking thing." An image of Lee, naked, popped into her head. Oh she had to stop this. It wasn't helping that his thumbs were tracing little circles on her bare skin. "Can you manage?" Hell, she wasn't sure she could manage having his hands on her much longer.

Lee realized he was rubbing his thumbs along her sides. He needed to stop that. As he pictured what she wanted in his head, his hands went still. He was going to have to step up even closer to the Raider if he needed to lever her over a barrier. Gods, she'd end up right on top of the telltale bulge in his lap when he pulled her out. He could do this, for her. "Hmm…yeah, I think I can manage." Maybe he could just kind of scoop her off her feet and she wouldn't have to get anywhere near his midsection. "Ready?" It was a good thing she couldn't see his face. He had broken out in a sweat thinking about how close he was going to end up being to her.

As soon as Lee's thumbs stopped moving along her skin, her knee had started throbbing. Kara sucked in a breath in anticipation of the agony she was sure she would be feeling. "Go." She gritted her teeth and shoved backwards.

To her surprise she slid free almost painlessly. Lee had his hands splayed around her hips and when he lifted them, he slid one down the thigh of her injured leg and braced her knee when it straightened out. She wasn't sure if it was because his touch felt electric or the fact that he was putting pressure on her knee, but it wasn't the painful episode she had envisioned. Now she only had one problem, her shirts bunched up even further when she went over the hump and were now just barely covering her breasts. The momentum from her solid push made it impossible for her to slow down so she ended up moving much more quickly than expected.

Lee knew he was in trouble. She came free much faster than he was prepared for. He couldn't move his feet back fast enough as she popped out of the Raider and the result was her landing right where he didn't want her. His lap. Not only that, as he tried to break her fall his arms automatically went around her with his hands landing just under her partially exposed breasts. As soon as he felt skin instead of cloth another jolt went through him and he ended up becoming painfully hard. Her ass in his lap did not help the situation.

Kara's breath hitched in her throat when she landed. The bright lights of the hangar bay blinded her for a second and she had to squeeze her eyes shut against the intensity. She was a little confused and disoriented, and her stiffened muscles didn't want to move. She became aware of Lee underneath her when she felt him gulp against her shoulder. She shook her head, realized where her shirts were and quickly pulled them down over her midriff and consequentially, Lee's hands. She blinked again, this time in awareness. Oh lords, if she wasn't mistaken she had landed squarely on top of a very aroused Lee Adama. She went hot at the thought that he was hard for her.

Lee couldn't move except to swallow, hard. Not even when Kara hurriedly pulled her shirts back down. He was frozen in place. If it were anyone else but Kara on top of him, he would have laughed and jumped right up brushing off the awkwardness. But it WAS Kara and his body couldn't, wouldn't move. He was afraid if she shifted even a little that he was going to embarrass himself right there, he was that aware of her.

Lee didn't think Kara had injured herself from the fall, but he should find out. He closed his eyes briefly and then spoke softly. "You okay?" Speaking helped him remember how to move. "Are you hurt?" He gently slid his hands down and out from under her shirts only to slide them up her arms.

Kara shuddered as Lee's hands moved up her arms. "Fine. I'm fine." No she wasn't. She didn't want to move just yet. "Give me a minute." She twisted her head around and decided it was a mistake. She met Lee's eyes and saw his raw need. It did her in. She couldn't help herself; she leaned forward and touched her lips to his.

Oh lords, was Lee's last coherent thought. He moved his lips against Kara's and deepened their kiss. His tongue slid into her mouth and he was lost. Kissing her was more than he'd imagined it would be. It was hot, intense and he had to stop or he was going to strip her naked right in the middle of the hangar bay and frak her senseless. He pulled away from her abruptly. "Can't." He hissed in a breath. "Can't do this here." He shifted his hips out from under her and sat her gently on the deck. He stayed beside her and once he could think with his brain again he chanced a quick look at her.

Kara was shaking. She wanted Lee. Badly. If he hadn't stopped, she would have let him take her right there on the deck floor. She drew a deep shaky breath and looked over at him just as he was gazing at her. "Where?" They were going to finish what was just started. Kara was determined. She laid her hand on his arm. "Right now, where?" She started to struggle to her feet, but her knee wasn't cooperating. She groaned in frustration.

Lee quickly helped Kara to a standing position, his mind racing for a place they could go. The showers, they both needed one. Kara had been inside the sticky interior all day and she did fall on top of him. Besides, he had a hankering to see her wet and glistening. "Come on." His eyes held hot promises as he snagged her crutches from their post against the Raider. He leaned close to her ear told her huskily, "B-Level. Showers." He gave her a crutch then wrapped an arm around her shoulders while keeping the other crutch in his free hand.

Kara had a vision of Lee, naked, standing under the spray of the shower. Her eyes nearly crossed as she tucked the crutch under her arm. With Lee supporting her other side she just said, "Right," and started moving as quickly as her stiff muscles would let them.

As they left the hangar bay and made their way to B-Level, both were thinking anticipation was a good thing. Wasn't it?

FIN


	8. Chapter 8

Summary:

Leoben fraks with Kara's head and she has a rough time dealing with it.

FLESH AND BONE

Kara pulled open her locker as the days events flashed through her mind. Cylon interrogation was obviously not one of her better skills. She quickly hung up her jacket then paused a moment. Leoben had truly frakked with her mind, just as Adama had warned her he would. Still, in her mind a soul was a soul. She glanced around, checking to make sure she was still alone then pulled out her cloth covered icons. After carefully unwrapping them, she held the cool metal in her hands. "Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer." She couldn't believe she was praying for a Cylon. "I don't know if he had a soul or not, but if he did, take care of it." She stood, gently rubbing her thumbs over the carved metal wondering how she let herself get so sucked in by Leoben.

It was because the things he knew about her weren't common knowledge. It had left her shaken and wondering what was real and what wasn't. She wrapped her icons in their velvet cloth and stashed them back in her locker. As she closed the door, she heard a movement behind her and turned to see Lee leaning against the wall.

Kara was intensely private about her beliefs, so she asked. "How long have you been standing there?" She hoped he hadn't heard her praying, for a Cylon no less.

Lee pushed himself upright. "Just got here." He walked over and sat on her bunk. "You seemed lost in thought, didn't want to disturb you." He pulled her down next to him and watched as she removed the brace from her knee. When she wouldn't look at him, he continued. "Heard you had a tough day. I wanted to make sure you were all right." He had no idea what had happened, but the President had mentioned that he might want to check on her.

Kara fisted her hands at her sides as she flexed her knee a couple of times. "I'm fine." She really wasn't, but she hated how she felt right now.

Lee just shook his head. She was so far from fine it was laughable. "No. You're not." She was freaked. "Fine isn't the word for what you are right now." He steeled himself for her scathing comeback, but it didn't come.

Kara knew she needed to talk to someone about this and she didn't want it to be the Commander. She looked over at Lee and when she met his gaze the whole day spilled out in its frakked up entirety. She started with noticing the Cylon sweating, continued on to its fascination with whom she was, mentioned the tactics she used and its fear of not reaching its God then she added what she had done at the end. Putting her hand against the glass before the Gemenon captain hit the release for the airlock. She had been so lost in the retelling that when she finished, she was startled to find that she and Lee were both reclined on her bunk. His back was propped against the pillow; hers was propped against his chest. She had no idea how that had happened but she didn't care. It was nice and she wasn't going to question it right now. She sighed softly and tried to blank her mind to the rest of what Leoben had said to her.

Lee had listened without interrupting Kara's tale. He knew there was more here that she wasn't telling him. He also sensed that was what really had her in its grip. He tested his theory. "It's tough, what you had to do." He shifted his position lying on his side making her opt to slide down on her side as well, facing him. "Now tell me what's really going on in that head of yours." He held her gaze without judgment or condemnation.

Kara was afraid to voice her thoughts. She wavered when she gazed at Lee, who was silently waiting for her to spill it. "The Cylon knew things about me, Lee." She blinked before continuing. "Things no one else knows about...painful things" She pulled her gaze from his and looked behind him at a picture hanging on the wall. She proceeded to tell him the things Leoben said about her mother. "How did he know? I don't understand how he could know." She whispered the last part, her voice almost breaking.

Lee felt horrible for her. He didn't know much about her childhood, but it wasn't the best from what he had gathered. She didn't talk much about it. This was actually worse than he'd imagined.

He put his arm around her bringing her closer to him. "I don't have the answers, Kara. I wish I did." He looked down as she turned her head up to stare at him. "This model supposedly uses lies and manipulations. Maybe he made some very calculated guesses and hit closer to home than even he thought possible." It wasn't much, but he hoped it helped a little.

Kara shook her head. "I don't know. He hit me where I lived." She made a disgusted sound in her throat. "He sucked me in, Lee. Made me doubt what's real." He knew just what buttons to push between her faith and her mother. Gods, she still felt off center. "I let him get me off track. I know he's not real. Human. Whatever" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know he's the enemy, but he made me try to stop what had to happen." She shuddered. "What he told me would happen. I'm not sure which end is up anymore." Kara looked at Lee and she suddenly needed to know that they were both real. That she wasn't back on the Gemenon Traveler still locked in a battle of wills with Leoben. She fisted her hands in his shirts. "Tell me this is real, Lee." She pleaded at him with her eyes. "That we're real." She sucked in another shaky breath then kissed him without waiting for his answer.

Lee kissed her back briefly, but broke away. He needed to make sure she really knew what was happening. "Kara. I'm here." He smoothed her hair back from her head. "This is real. Do you get that?" He watched as her gaze focused on him then read the underlying need in her eyes. "We're real, Kara. Very real." Confident that she was with him, he lowered his head and resumed their kiss.

Kara reached behind her and pulled her curtains closed. Then she melted into Lee's embrace loving the feel of him against her. He was real, solid, and exactly what she needed. She held his face in her hands and deepened the kiss, thrusting her tongue against his as she felt his leg slide between hers. She arched against him, moving one hand over his shoulder and down the rippled muscle of his biceps. She pulled away from the kiss on a gasp when she felt his hand sliding under her shirts to reach for her breast. She tingled wherever his hand touched. Gods, if this wasn't real, she was having one hell of a dream.

Lee was firmly entrenched in reality. Kara's smooth skin was pliant under his hand as he gently pushed up her shirts finally lifting them over her head. His own shirt was being pulled up and he scrunched down so as soon as it cleared his head he would have immediate access to the tips of her breasts. As his tongue darted out to touch a rosy peak he moved his hands to her uniform pants and made short work of the button and zipper.

He sat up, hearing a disappointed moan that he was leaving his current task. He smiled down at Kara and made short work of sliding her pants down, being careful of her bad knee. He removed his own trousers and shoved them off to the side with hers. He settled back as far as the bunk would allow and lowered his lips to the top of her foot. They burned a trail up her leg and over her hip before settling on a now puckered nipple. He was rewarded with a soft groan as he felt Kara's fingers twist in his hair.

Kara's good knee bent as she placed her foot on the bunk. Lee was definitely the real thing. He had her panting with need as his lips and tongue ratcheted up her desire. Her hips were arcing off the bed seeking relief and he didn't disappoint. She felt his fingers glide over her thigh and land at the soft center that was hot and liquid with want. As one of his fingers entered her she closed her eyes against the flare of heat she felt at the contact. She was wet, ready and impatient to have him inside her instead of his fingers. She tugged at his hair yanking him up until his face met hers. She held his gaze as she lifted her head and met his lips, sliding her tongue over his bottom lip making him moan. Her hands drifted down over his back and settled on his ass before pulling him in closer until his erection was pressed between them. He was hard and hot and Kara wanted him now.

Lee pulled away from the contact against Kara's skin. The friction between them was intense and he hadn't even entered her yet. Her tongue was doing insane things to his mouth and he desperately needed to have a moment to breathe. He broke their kiss but dropped his lips to her throat placing small little kisses down to her shoulder as he tried to get his lungs to function. He slowly moved forward shifting his hips a little lower to enter her. He paused for a moment and lifted his head. When he had a clear view of her face, he thrust inside her with a single smooth stroke and they both gasped at the heightened awareness that washed over them.

As Lee pulled back from the velvety softness that was wrapped around him, he knew he wouldn't last long. His body was urging him to move faster and harder against her. But his hazy brain kept reminding him to take care of Kara. He slid back in and felt her legs wrap around him, her uninjured one around his waist, and the other one over his thigh locking him in close to her. It was exquisite torture to be buried inside her and when she lifted her hips to move against him he almost lost his grip on reality.

He growled softly. "Kara…you're messing with fire." He held himself still as she doubled the pace her hips were writhing against his.

Kara's breathing was uneven but she managed to rasp out a reply. "Oh yeah," She rotated her hips in a circular motion. "Maybe I want to get burned." It wasn't far from the truth. A fire was beginning to burn, low in her belly and she was skittering close to the edge of reason.

Lee groaned at her words and tried to tighten the loose bond of his control. "Gods please…" Please let him hang on. He was dangling from the edge and if she didn't break soon, he wouldn't be able to hang on.

Kara's legs slid down and effectively released him from his prison. She planted her feet on the bunk and met him thrust for thrust. Surge against surge; gasp-to-gasp, breathing rapidly until they both flew out of control moaning their release against each other's skin. As they came back down their heads touched and they looked at each other at the same time. Their lips met in an achingly tender kiss that washed away the violence of Kara's day and left them both feeling bathed in something pure, something good.

Lee tumbled to his side, his energy spent. He draped one arm over Kara, using the other one to hold up his head. When she turned to face him he was struck dumb. All the words of comfort and concern he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear then cupped her face. He leaned forward and with his lips told her that they were as real as 'real' can possibly be.

Kara felt Lee's words even if he didn't speak them. When their kiss ended it was her turn to hold his face in her hand before whispering. "I don't know how to thank you." At his look of question, she continued. "You made it okay for me…in my head and in my heart." She put her hand to both places as she spoke.

Lee smiled his truly rare smile. "Don't you know that thanks aren't necessary?" He gathered her close to him. "Love is, Kara. It makes things real and tangible." He settled down further in her bunk. "And love is what we have." When he felt her nod her head against his shoulder, he finally let his eyes close.

They drifted to sleep wrapped in each other's embrace, holding on to what was real.

FIN


	9. Chapter 9

Summary:

Ellen Tigh, hand on ass. You do the math…

TIGH ME UP, TIGH ME DOWN

Kara stood leaning against the entry as she watched Lee run the scrap of cloth over his skin for the umpteenth time in the shower. She wasn't sure what the hell was going on with him but she was damn sure going to find out.

She pushed herself off the wall and decided to just jump right in. "You trying to scrub off the top layer of skin, or what?" She couldn't wait to hear his answer.

Lee had been rewinding the evening in his head and was startled to find he wasn't alone. "Frak. Sneak up on people much?" He turned red as she perused him from head to toe. "Uh…you know you're not supposed to be looking." Gods…this was all he needed after the night he'd just had. Kara was not helping.

Kara smirked. "Can't help it…you've been in here thirty minutes." Her eyes narrowed. "You getting special privileges that I don't know about?" NO ONE took thirty-minute showers on a battlestar.

Lee hadn't realized he'd been in the shower so long. "Thirty minutes?" Frak. It still wasn't enough time. Lee shook his head. "Gods…I still don't feel clean." He shuddered with a memory…he'd spend the rest of the damn night in the here if he had to.

Now Kara was really intrigued. "What the hell happened?" She had a feeling she was going to have to pry it out of him. She was good a prying.

Lee tossed a glance over his shoulder. "You don't want to know." And he really didn't want to tell her.

Kara gave him a wide smile. "Uh…yes. I think I really do." She knew whatever it was…it was going to be good.

Lee lathered up the washcloth again while he debated telling her. "Nope. You really don't." She was going to laugh her ass off. She wasn't saying anything so he glanced back again. There she was, still standing, arms crossed over her chest indicating that she didn't plan on leaving anytime soon. He finally caved…maybe if he actually said what had happened he wouldn't feel like his skin was still crawling. With a sigh of resignation, he stated. "Two words…Ellen Tigh." There…he'd said the name. Didn't help. He should have known. Now all he had to do was wait for Kara to start laughing herself silly.

Oh gods…she had known it was going to be good. "Ellen Tigh?" The screeching banshee otherwise know as Colonel Tigh's extremely loose wife. Kara could just imagine what she'd do to a prime specimen like Lee. "Invade your personal space, did she?" Oh, she shouldn't make light of it, but it was too delicious not to. She had a perfectly clear image of what had probably happened.

Lee rolled his eyes. "Oh…it was more than an invasion." He rinsed the soap off again. "I spent a good portion of the entire dinner with her foot in my lap." The woman had freakishly nimble toes. He turned his back to Kara, grabbed more soap and began the process all over again. "Then she had to gall to grab my ass before leaving." He shuddered. "Gods…I'll never be clean again." If he could just shake the creepy feeling of having her hands on him, he'd be okay.

For a guy like Lee, who preferred to steer clear of complicated entanglements…Kara could imagine his revulsion at having a superior officer's wife attempting seduction with said officer in the same room. Woman's got props…Kara would give her that.

Kara couldn't take watching him anymore. "Aww…poor Lee." She chuckled. "Too handsome to resist, yet too honorable to take advantage." She started peeling off her clothes. "A willing woman and you let her slip right through your fingers." She had decided to give Lee something else to think about.

Lee snorted at the thought of Ellen Tigh anywhere near his fingers. "Yeah…well…she was a little too willing." He stepped back under the sting of the water as soapy residue slid down his body. "And call me stupid…but I don't like to share." He turned his back to the water and was greeted by a very naked Kara standing right in front of him. "What's this?" He raised an eyebrow. "Dirt by association?" It was a lame attempt to cover his shock and his eyes wouldn't listen when his brain said 'don't look'. Thinking how exquisite she was he tried to take it all in…the smooth flesh, rounded curves, and sleek muscles. He shook himself mentally and snapped his gaze back to hers.

Kara was shaking her head. "Nope." She stepped closer to him, leaving just inches between them. "Just thought maybe someone else's touch might drive the feel of her out of your mind." She trailed her fingers down his arm then smiled at him. "Besides…I'm not sure how much skin you'll have left if you keep this up." She glanced up at his face to gage his reaction.

Lee sucked in a breath as her hand reached behind him to turn the water off. "Uh, skin's just fine, thanks." They shouldn't be doing this, but for the life of him, he couldn't think of a reason why right now.

Kara slid her hands around Lee's waist. "Let's keep it that way. All right?" She angled towards him until their bodies were just touching. "I happen to like your skin just the way it is. Not all pink and prickly from scrubbing it raw." She reached up, drew his head down and then pulled him into a kiss that was meant to wipe anyone else from his mind. What it did was suck her in until starbursts went off in her head and if Lee's response was any indication, the same was happening to him. When she pulled away, the first thing out of her mouth was "Ellen who?" When Lee let out a half groan/half laugh, she knew he wasn't going to be thinking about the dinner party from hell anymore.

Lee's brain was so far removed from anything but the kiss he just shared with Kara that when she asked 'Ellen Who?' he had to think for a moment what she was talking about. When it registered he wasn't sure if he should laugh or groan. He ended up doing a combination of both. "Please, please don't mention that name." He deftly maneuvered her around as he spoke. "I won't be held responsible for my actions if I hear it again tonight." He had Kara positioned right where he wanted her, back against the wall of the showers, staring up at him.

Kara raised her eyebrows. He didn't think she'd pass that challenge up did he? "Is that right?" She put her hands on his shoulders and hitched her back up against the wall bringing her feet off the ground. Lee had no choice but to step in closer to hold her steady against his thighs. She had a wicked glint in her eyes when she looked at him and said in a low voice. "Ellen Tigh." She watched Lee's eyes go dark and sucked in a breath as she waited.

Lee figured she wouldn't be able to let it slide. The almost daring in her eyes did him in. "You had fair warning." He growled before crushing her mouth with his. He worked his tongue past her teeth and deepened the kiss until his brain screamed for oxygen. He broke away and pulled Kara further up to him, nestling her hips against his. "Gods Kara." His breath hissed out at the contact. "What are we doing here?" He couldn't resist the curve of her shoulder so he trailed kisses over it moving up to her throat.

Kara had a sensitive spot just below her jawbone. "I'd say we were frakking—" She moaned when Lee's lips grazed over the area. "Damn Lee." She shoved her fingers in his hair and dragged him back to her lips. She was done playing. She broke the kiss and moved her lips to his ear. "As I was saying," She wrapped her legs around him. "We are going to frak each other senseless." He groaned into her mouth and Kara decided she was done talking, too. It was time to seriously move this along.

She met his lips again while she pulled herself against his chest, the feeling of his wet skin against her nipples causing her to shiver. She pulled his head up and locked her gaze with his. Then she lifted herself slightly and slid smoothly over his cock. When their hips met, she groaned, relishing the feeling of finally having him inside her.

Lee's eyes went closed as Kara enveloped him in her moist center. He wondered briefly if he was losing his mind. It certainly felt like Kara was wrapped around him. He couldn't be dreaming the way he was pulsing inside her. No. None of his dreams had this much clarity. He looked up and found her watching him expectantly. His brain finally kicked back in and he pumped his hips against her, moaning her name.

Kara braced her back against the wall, grinding herself along the hard length of Lee as he drove in and out of her. She gasped when he cupped her behind, drawing her close and holding her in place as he thrust up into her with rapid fire stokes. The feeling of her clit rubbing against him caused a slow build of tension, drawing a low moan from her throat. Kara leaned her head against the wall and just savored the feel of hard muscles where her hands gripped his shoulders.

The friction between them revved up another notch when Lee changed their positions and placed his own back against the wall. His hands held Kara, one cupping the curve of her ass, the other sliding up her back. In this position, with the wall for leverage he went even further inside her. He gasped in amazement at the feeling of completion that washed over him. It nearly sent him over the edge, his control slipped and his pace increased as he hurtled toward a release he knew was close.

Kara nearly came unglued as Lee thrust himself deeper. She threw her head back and bit back a scream as the tightly coiled tension began to spread itself along her nerve endings. She held his shoulders, leaning hard against the arm that held her upright. Grinding against him, her breath hitched in her throat as she spun closer and closer to her breaking point. She knew it was going to be intense and as she skittered along the edge, she brought her fist to her mouth. When Kara slipped over the precipice she bit down on her knuckles, stifling the sound of her passion as her muscles tensed all around what seemed like hot steel inside her.

When Lee felt Kara shatter around him, his loosed the rein on his control and plunged into her with an intensity that had him right on the brink. With a final stroke, he held his roar of release in his chest as he emptied himself deep inside her soft walls. He sucked in a breath as his muscles twitched with the pleasurable agony of being completely spent. When he could finally breathe without labor, he lifted Kara's hand to his lips and brushed them across her lightly grazed knuckles.

Kara was sated, content and really didn't want to move, but she slid away from Lee and stood on shaky legs. She pulled him to her and caught his lips in a soft kiss that held a promise for things to come. Reluctantly let him go, she moved to the shower next to him. Turning on the water, a thought struck her and she giggled. When she noticed Lee's questioning look she clarified. "Who would have thought we'd have Ellen Tigh to thank for this." She then laughed outright as Lee closed his eyes and groaned at hearing the woman's name again. Kara just grinned wickedly at the thought of having to take Lee's mind off of Ellen at least once more tonight.

FIN


	10. Chapter 10

Summary:

What happened between the time Kara told Lee not to frak it up by over thinking and the actual mission?

HAND OF GOD 1

They were facing each other in the projector room, the undercurrents flowing between them threatening to consume one or both of them. Kara was pissed she had to stay behind and was giving Lee her last minute thoughts before she went off to sulk in private. "Keep your ingress low and fast." She was speaking matter-of-factly and knew she should be more encouraging. "Use the terrain to stay hidden 'til the last second." She looked directly at Lee. "Make sure you give the flak suppression unit enough time so that they can weaken defenses." Frak, why couldn't she just say 'Good Hunting' and leave it at that.

They'd been through this plan over and over again. She had to have doubts. Why else would she be treating him like a nugget? "You don't think I'm up to this?" Does anyone? He knew it was killing her to stay behind, but he was starting to get pissed that she thought he couldn't handle it.

Kara knew he was probably capable; she would just be better. "Of course I do, you'll be fine." Oh way to go, Kara, why don't you just tell him you want to be there.

Lee's jaw clenched with frustration. He gave her a hard look, which she returned. Damn it. He walked toward her saying. "Look, you're worried that I'm not gonna pull it out of the fire with some high-risk retina-detaching move, the way Starbuck would." He knew he was being sarcastic, but her lack of faith was insulting. "Look, Kara, I'm sorry you're not suiting up. Because, believe me, everyone would feel so much better, me included, if you were riding along with us." He paused for a moment. "But this isn't an ego trip," He was lashing out at her with that remark. "This is my job." His anger built. "And don't think for o­ne moment that I will not get it done." He felt better for saying it. Even if he knew it probably pissed her off. 

Kara just said. "I hope so, 'cause we've got o­ne shot." The she added. "Don't frak it up by over thinking." With a final look, she turned away and left him standing in front of the viewing screen.

Lee just stared after her until the door closed. He watched it for a moment before turning back to the screen. He looked at it and shook his head. This was going to be a frakked up mission. It would have been nice to have the support of his best friend. He could feel the tension start to creep in like it always did before a big op.

He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, concentrating on inhaling and exhaling. He heard to hatch open but didn't lose his focus. Focus was important in the cockpit. It could mean making it back in one piece or having a Raptor pick up the remnants. When he opened his eyes he was surprised to see Kara standing next to him.

Kara didn't interrupt Lee. She knew what he was doing…it was a basic tactic and all pilots learned the technique for easing tension. She was thinking she should be doing the same thing herself when she heard the change in Lee's breathing pattern. She glanced over to see his questioning gaze.

She smiled tentatively. "Hey." Now that she was here, she wasn't sure where to begin. "Uh…didn't want to interrupt." Lame. That was so lame.

Lee's lips rose in a half smile. "Forget something?" He could feel his muscles start to bunch up again.

Kara let out a small sigh. "Yeah. An apology." She turned to face him. "I know you can do this, Lee." She continued before she could back out. "And I'll admit that it's killing me to have to stay behind." She grasped his arm and tugged him into one of the seats and sat beside him. "I feel responsible for this op…it's my plan. If anything goes wrong…I won't be out there to help." She hoped he understood what she was trying to say. She really wasn't trying to make it all about her.

Lee nodded. Hearing her say it, made him look at things from her point of view. "I get it, Kara." He turned to look at her. "I understand, now." Why did they always seem to have such a hard time communicating?

Kara's responsibilities were weighing in on her. "Do you?" She got up and started pacing, limping slightly, but she was tired of the cane. "Do you really, Lee?" She put her hands on her hips, took two steps then drops them again. "If this ends up frakked, it's on my head." She walked the along the first row of chairs as Lee sat watching her. "I've got a class of just graduated nuggets I'm not sure are ready for this." Up to the end of the row then back in front of him. "Colonel Tigh's just waiting for me to fall on my face with this 'half-assed' plan of mine." She used her best Tigh impression for the half-assed part making Lee grin. "And to top it off I'm pissed as hell that I have to stay on board." She had reached the end of the row again and threw her hands up in frustration. "My frakked up knee is keeping me out of the cockpit." And it's keeping me from watching your back. She heaved a sigh before continuing. "Gods, I hate being—" weak, she thought, but didn't get to say it as her lips were crushed under Lee's warm demanding ones.

Lee needed to stop her from freaking out completely. She was so involved in her rant she didn't notice him standing to follow her. She had run through the military gamut and was winding up for the personal one. Lee did the only thing he could think of to shut her up. As she was turning to pace back down the row, Lee caught her by surprise and smothered her mouth with his own. The kiss was intended to make her stop talking but when she responded, Lee went with it. The kiss deepened and by its end both were breathing heavily.

Kara put her fingers to her lips. "Wow…" She flicked a quick glance at Lee. "Where the hell did that come from?" She felt like she'd just done a couple of shots of Ambrosia. She hadn't even thought about it, just responded when his mouth closed over hers.

Lee's mind processed several things at once. She wasn't unresponsive to him; he was her superior officer and had no business kissing her; and he prepping for a potentially fatal mission. Taking a page from her book, he didn't answer. This was his one shot and he wasn't going to frak it up by over thinking it. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he tested the waters by giving her a quick kiss. As he pulled back, her hands went to his neck and kept their lips only inches apart. He threw caution to the wind and kissed her again, this time seeking entrance to her mouth with his tongue. A low moan escaped his throat as her tongue slid over his and his body went hot.

Kara explored Lee's mouth with a slow thoroughness that made her insides quiver. She wasn't sure where they were going with this, but she wanted…scratch that, she needed…to be with him. Her plan was chancy at best. She couldn't shake the fear that she could be sending him to his death. And if she wasn't be out there to watch his back to see that he made it back alive, she at least wanted this one moment in time with him.

Starting to feel desperate, her hands went to his jacket and worked the buttons loose. She shoved it over his shoulders and down his arms, leaving Lee to work his hands out of the sleeves. She became occupied with getting his tanks off, shoving them up as she trailed kisses up along his ribcage. As she watched Lee pull them over his head, she started on her own jacket. She had it unbuttoned before Lee batted her hands away and finished the job himself.

Feeling like he was in a state of suspended animation, Lee's hands automatically knew what to do, but his brain was trying to take it all in. There were a million reasons why this was a bad idea, but in his mind they were stealing a moment…a bubble of time, just for themselves. After getting her out of her jacket and shirts, he watched as she removed her bra and then dropped her hands to her side. His gaze met hers and it was as if they could read each other's thoughts. They removed the rest of their clothing, then came together in a tangle of heated kisses and jumbled limbs.

Frantically making their way to the row of seats they tumbled down onto one of them. With a muttered "Frak" Kara lifted the armrest she had just bumped her recuperating knee against. The jolt of pain it sent to her toes didn't even register, so focused was she on everything else happening between them. Lee's hands were smoothing up her back, drawing her closer to him. She felt his lips burn a hot trail over her skin starting at her shoulder then traveling down to capture the tip of her breast as he bent her backwards for access. She slid her hands through his hair with one of them coming to a stop on his shoulder.

Lee teased both pink tipped peaks of her breasts with his lips and tongue, relishing her response. As her nipples puckered under his skillful mouth, she arched into him causing her core to press against his fully erect penis. He couldn't seem to get his fill of her, moving from her breasts back up to her lips kissing them with a ravishing intensity. He pulled her upper body toward him and wrapped his arms around her then moved his lips to her ear and said simply. "I need you." He was near to bursting with it.

Kara's breath hissed out and she dragged his mouth back to hers. Not breaking their kiss, she positioned herself so she was poised just above the tip of his cock. She broke off the kiss and whispered. "Now, Lee." She gasped when he drove up into her with a single stroke, then she settled her thighs against his and began to move, not wanting to waste a single minute they had.

The exquisite feel of her moving along his shaft drew a moan from Lee's throat. Leaning his head against the back of the seat, he grasped her hips lightly as she continued the fast yet sensual rocking that created a burning heat where they where joined. The friction made him swell fully in her moist, soft center and his mind emptied of everything but the sensation of their skin touching, their breaths mingling and the absolute raging need between them.

Kara was riding Lee with a passion she hadn't felt in years. Her head dropped to his shoulder as her instincts took over and she let her body move at will. When Lee lifted his hips to meet hers the wonderful abrasiveness it created made her breathing go shallow. Her hair was falling in her face and when she lifted her head it was to see Lee staring at her with sexy determination. She lowered her head to his and brushed teasing kisses over his lips, pulling back elusively when he tried to deepen them. When he finally growled low in his throat, bringing his hands up to catch her face between them, she caved and met his lips and tongue in a searing kiss that had them both spinning out of control. Their mouths broke apart and gasping each other's names they came together in an explosion of pleasure that rocked them both. They sat holding on to each other, their heads touching as their breathing returned to normal.

Lee was the first to break the spell. His final mission briefing was looming and he couldn't be late. He lifted Kara's chin and gazed at her. "I have to go." He whispered with reluctance.

Kara just nodded her head, as she didn't trust herself to speak. She moved away from him slowly, not wanting to leave his embrace. But they both had things left to accomplish before the op could even start. She reached for her clothes and started dressing in silence. The mission responsibilities blasted her with full force again. She really hoped Lee could pull it off…the alternative wasn't acceptable to her.

Lee was troubled that she wasn't saying anything. If this had ruined their solid friendship, he would lament it for the rest of his life. He needed her to be there for him, even if they never did this again. Grabbing his own clothes, he dressed while darting glances at her. He actually finished dressing before she did and he could tell her knee was slowing her down. Wanting to stay and hash this out, but needing to be at the briefing, he walked over to her.

Placing his hand on hers and keeping his emotions in check, he remarked. "I'll never regret this, Kara." Still not sure where they stood, he gently squeezed her hand before turning in the direction of the hatch.

Kara watched his retreating back for a moment, thinking she had to at least say something. If he didn't make it back, she wanted him to know she was with him all the way. She inhaled a deep breath before calling out to him. "Lee…" When he paused and looked over his shoulder, she said the one thing she knew would tell him she'd be with him in spirit. "Good hunting." Then she smiled, feeling better about the mission and their friendship.

His answering smile and quick wink let her know that if nothing else…they were all right.

FIN


	11. Chapter 11

Summary:

Lee + Kara + Water Hose Hot Pilot Fun…or…what do pilots do when they get soaking wet yet still have a day full of security detail?

COLONIAL DAY

One minute he was enjoying the fake sun of Cloud Nine talking to his supposed friend; the next, said friend was hitting him full-force in the chest with a blast of cold water from a landscaping hose. Not that he didn't pay her back, he did and then some. Both were dripping wet and laughing as they ducked into a side chamber of the stone structure in the center of the courtyard. It was fairly private and they needed a place where they could dry off with a little decorum, which would be hard to maintain since they were both giggling like adolescents instead of Colonial Officers charged with heading security for the Quorum of Twelve meeting.

They had entered a square chamber with three stone benches and a grassy floor. The walls were tightly woven latticework and left a sun-dappled pattern on the green strands fluttering in the breeze. Kara burst through the doorway first; Lee was right on her heels; their laughter a thing of joy. Kara's hair was soaked along with her tanks. Her pants were wet in various spots but not as dripping as her shirts. Lee wasn't so lucky. She'd scored a direct hit on him from the get go and his entire front was drenched. Although they weren't technically on the official junket yet, they decided it would be prudent to find a quiet place away from the preparations to dry off. Kara started with her hair, smoothing it back then twisting her fingers in the ends to wring out the bulk of the water.

Lee peeled off his shirts and separated them. "So…when did we revert back to being 12?" He draped his wet tanks over a stone bench. The light breeze should dry them off in no time.

Kara rolled her eyes. "Were you ever 12?" She struggled out of her shirts, leaving her wet bra on since it would dry very quickly.

Lee was working his pants past his hips. "What the hell does that mean?" He stepped out of the wet material and draped it beside his shirts.

Kara finally had her shirts separated and repeated Lee's draping method on another bench. "It means, Captain, " She shot him a look while unfastening her pants. "That since you probably NEVER acted like a 12 year old, you have no point of reference." She shimmied out of her pants and flung them beside her shirts.

Lee didn't say anything for a moment. Then he grinned wickedly. "No point of reference?" He slowly started advancing over to where Kara was leaning against the latticework wall. "You sure about that?" He narrowed his eyes when he asked the question.

Uh oh. Kara didn't like the look on his face. "Lee…what are you doing?" He came to a stop right in front of her and effectively boxed her in by placing his hands on either side of her.

Lee aimed a wolfish smile at her. "Determining if I still remember how to act 12." He slid his hands down the wall as he stepped a little closer to her.

It was Kara's turn to narrow her eyes. He was up to no good. "You'd better not be planning what I think you are." She was insanely ticklish. And thanks to Zak, Lee knew that.

Lee raised his eyebrows, doing his best to look innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about." His hands were still flat against the wall and there was only 3 inches of space between them.

She wasn't buying the innocent act. "If you, in any way…" She put her hands against his chest. "Touch me…so help me…" Contact with him was not a good idea. Lee's close proximity was doing all sorts of things to her body. "I'll, uh, hurt you." Yes, that's what she'd do.

Lee grinned at her. "Really?" He leaned in even closer to her. "Does touching include this?" He captured her lips in a kiss that quickly turned heated. He slid his tongue along hers notching up the heat and leaving Kara breathless before ending the kiss abruptly.

Kara moaned and then shook her head. "Since when do twelve year olds kiss like that?" She was breathing rapidly trying to calm the beat of her heart.

Lee just shrugged. "They don't." He stepped back slightly pulling his hands away from the lattice to rest on her hips. "But they will use any means necessary to distract their target from this…" He quickly slid his hands to her sides and began an onslaught of tickling.

Kara's insane laughter rang out in the small enclosure. "Damn it!" She tried to duck away from him. "Lee. Stop it." She was gasping and could no longer stand. "I mean it." She sank to the ground but it didn't break his hold…he just sank down with her. "I will so make you…" She broke off as laughter overtook her again. "Pay for this." She was panting for air and trying to twist away. "Ah gods, I hate to be tickled." She tried to scrunch up in a ball but her legs were trapped under Lee's. "Please. Please stop." She finally gave it up and quit moving.

Lee stopped immediately. "Okay. You said the magic word." He laid her flat on the ground and plopped down beside her. " Now…did that pass for 12 year old mentality?" He propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her.

Kara was still trying to catch her breath. "I take it back." She sucked in as much air as her heaving lungs would allow. "You must have had a point of reference somewhere in your childhood." She could finally breathe again but her sides ached. "Are you sure it isn't just from observing the other 12 year olds at play?" What was she thinking? He was still right next to her.

He flexed his fingers over her. "Kara…" Lee voice carried a warning tone. "Would you like another demonstration?" He started to lower his hand.

Kara tensed, quickly pulling her arms into her sides. "No. No…I'll behave" She winced. "Damn, my sides hurt." She let out a long slow breath to ease the discomfort and relaxed back into the grassy turf.

Lee was getting ready to whip out another comeback but stopped. She looked so damn beautiful laying in the dappled sunlight. He lowered his head as he spoke. "Maybe I should do something about that." His lips caught hers again and they picked up right where they left off with the first one.

Tongues thrusting against each other; hands smoothing over skin; final clothing barriers removed, the pair slowly shifted into more comfortable positions. Lee skimmed his hand over Kara's side as he gathered her closer to him and their kiss became more intense. Kara's leg was flung over his hip and their bodies brushed together intimately as they writhed against each other.

Lee's hands drifted over her exposed flesh reveling in its sleekness. He trailed his fingers down her stomach and stopped them just above the apex of her legs. He felt her hips thrust upward, seeking contact with his hand. Trailing his lips over her shoulder, he gave her what she craved. Cupping the center of her he alternated between rubbing the bundle of nerves centered between her legs and sliding his finger inside her.

Lee was driving Kara to the brink of pleasure. As his lips brushed over her shoulder, hers found the column of his throat, burning a row of kisses to his jaw line. Her fingers squeezed his arm as she tilted her hips into his hand. Her other hand found his shaft and grasped it gently at first then with increasing pressure as his fingers worked their magic. She felt the slow build of heat begin its ascent and when Lee's lips found her breast it spiked to a fever pitch. Her hands stopped moving over his hardness and reached to bring him over her, her body craving release. She tugged at his hair pulling him back up for a soul-consuming kiss that rocked him as much as it did her.

Kara's kiss was full of fire and the flame shot straight to his groin. If possible, he swelled even more as his heart beat a rapid staccato against his chest. He ached to be inside her and was afraid if he didn't quench his need soon, it would be over before it even got started. When he felt Kara's urgent hands on his ass, he poised at her entrance drawing out the torture a moment longer. His eyes met hers and as he sheathed himself in her softness both their eyelids slid closed at the exquisite sensation of being connected this intimately.

Kara felt as if her every nerve ending had come alive. The feeling of Lee sliding through her slick folds made her breath hitch in her throat. She groaned against his shoulder then pulled his head down to place kisses over his face before snatching his lips again. She sucked his bottom lip between hers and was rewarded a deep thrust from his hips.

Ah gods, the things she was doing to him. Lee pushed himself a little harder into her moist center and it was his turn to gasp. It was an effort not to just let go and pound against her driving them both over the edge too quickly. He felt her hips move up to meet him to increase the friction against her sweet spot. His eyes nearly crossed as the movement sucked him in deeper. Oh he wanted to give rein to his lust for her and just topple them over the edge.

They strained to get air into their lungs, breaths coming in short gasps as the push-pull between them spiraled out of control. Kara's head tilted back exposing her neck to Lee's lips and they burned a path of hot wet kisses from her collarbone to her ear. She shuddered as his raspy voice whispered desire-fueled words against her skin. When she heard his breathing quicken she knew he was close and holding back, waiting for her. She sucked in a breath, cocked her hips, holding them in place and then let go…pleasure sliding over her in waves. She felt him swell inside her as her muscles tightened with her climax and then he shattered against her grinding out his release on a long groan.

Wave after wave of satisfied bliss hit Lee as his brain battled with the ecstasy he was feeling and the need to breathe again. He collapsed down to his elbows resting his head against Kara's shoulder and drew in enough air to clear his vision. His shaft was still pulsing within her and he relished the feeling, not wanting it to end. As his head lifted, he felt her fingers brush down the side of his cheek to grasp his chin. He watched as a satisfied smile crept across Kara's face before she dragged him into another blinding kiss that eventually softened into small gentle pecks as he eased himself off her and onto the grass beside her.

Kara was experiencing a feeling she wasn't quite ready to pinpoint. What had started out as a random spot of fun had mushroomed into incredibly hot sex with her best friend. She wasn't too sure she'd be able to give it up, now that she had experienced it. The question was going to be whether Lee could deal with it.

She reached for her under things and eased out from the arm he had flung over her stomach. As she hastily got into her bra and panties, she felt Lee's eyes on her. She lifted her head and caught his blue eyes twinkling at her. She grinned at him, grabbed up his clothes and gave them a playful toss in his direction.

Lee sputtered as his clothing landed on top of his head. He shook them off and they dropped into his lap. He was feeling so contented and hoped that what just happened between them didn't screw up their friendship. He needed Kara. She was what linked his old life with the new one and he didn't want to give that up. Selfishly, he didn't want to give up the new physical aspect of their relationship either. He slowly dressed in his uniform wondering where they should go from this point on. His hope was that they could build on this and he thought they could, if Kara didn't cut and run.

Kara smoothed her shirts down and tucked them into her pants. She sat down on a bench and jammed her feet into her socks then slipped on her shoes. She prayed Lee didn't go completely anal on her; over analyze their relationship and then try to apologize for taking advantage of her. She might have to shoot him if he pulled something like that.

She glanced over at Lee who had finished dressing and was standing by the entrance. She gave him a tentative smile. She needed to know what was next. "So…where do we go from here?" She started toward him.

Kara's question answered his. He gave her a smile full of sex and a promise. "Right now. We go find the President." He stopped her when she reached the door. "After that…" He shrugged but his voice held endless possibilities. When his head descended toward hers, his lips sealed the deal.

FIN


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: This one goes way off the charts of canon…but it could have happened.

Summary: Lee and Kara wake up after the festivities of Colonial Day with an interesting dilemma.

KOBOL'S LAST GLEAMING part 1

Kara came awake slowly, the drifting shadows of sleep falling away by degrees. She was lying on her side and it was dark, very dark. And hot…lords it was hot, her sleepy mind finally registered. Okay she was in a bed, a real bed; it was too big to be a bunk. And the reason it was so hot was because she was buried under a huge, fluffy blanket. Frak. Where the hell was she?

Yawning, she rolled to her stomach and bumped into something warm and solid. Oh gods, she wasn't alone. What did I do? She racked her fuzzy mind trying to recall what she last remembered, but her head hurt too much to think about it. Who had she ended up with this time and how smoothly could she extricate herself from the situation? I swear to the gods that I'll never overindulge again, she thought as she risked taking a peek to find out whom she was with. Her eyes opened and she lifted the edge of the blanket letting in a slit of light. She winced at the intrusion then blinked to clear her fuzzy vision. Frak…it couldn't be. It was. Gasping in shock, she poked her head out from underneath the heavy blanket and her eyes slammed shut against the brightness of the light and mortification of who was lying next to her.

Lee Adama.

Oh frak. How the hell had they ended up in bed together? She needed answers. Now. "Lee." Her voice was raspy and hoarse since it was the first time she had spoken out loud. She swallowed hard and tried again. "Lee." It was louder this time, a little clearer.

Lee heard his name, but it sounded far away. Maybe if he ignored it, he could sleep five more minutes. It came again, louder this time. "Hmmmm." He didn't have the energy to say anything else. Frak he was tired, but he yawned and stirred, beginning the slow process of waking up.

Hearing Lee yawn made Kara do the same. Dammit he needed to wake the hell up. Shifting her position, she tried again. "Lee." His head slowly lifted and he looked like he was trying to figure out where her voice was coming from. "How'd we end up here?" When his head dropped back down on the pillow, she bit back her frustration, but poked his shoulder. "Lee!"

Ah, gods…the voice was loud. "What!" He lifted his head and looked around, but everything was blurry. "Got where?" Why the hell was Kara asking him how they got there? And why did his mouth feel like he'd had wool shoved in it all night? And ouch…what the frak was up with the poking thing? He couldn't get his usually sharp mind to wrap around anything solid.

Kara blinked a couple of times, combating the brightness of the room. "I think we're on Cloud 9." Yes…the Colonial Day Celebration that was it. She was starting to remember…now if she could just focus on how she ended up here. In bed. With Lee.

Lee couldn't have heard that right. "Cloud 9?" He made a move to stretch his arms above his head when the left side of his body came into to contact with nothing but the bare skin of Kara. Damn…he was wide-awake now, sitting up in a flash wincing against the sudden movement. "Frak…Kara. You're naked." How the hell did that happen? The last time he remembered seeing her she was clad in a silky blue dress that took his breath away.

Kara rolled her eyes. Men were painfully stupid sometimes. "What?" She reached up and exposed Lee's chest by pulling the blanket down a little. "You missed the fact that you also have no clothes on?" She shook her head…the look on his face was priceless.

Lee knew she was right, but checked anyway. Yep. Not a stitch. He looked at Kara, squeezing his eyes shut trying to clear his vision. "What the hell happened?" There he was…his fantasy come to life and he can't remember a godsdamned thing. "Did we…" His voice trailed off. Don't ask that you moron…she'd be beyond insulted if she remembered and he didn't. "Never mind." He sat up further in the bed and his leg rubbed against the sleekness of hers. His body stirred and he fought to tamp down its reaction. "Did you ask how we got here?" He shook his head willing away the fuzziness so he could focus.

Kara pulled the sheet up against her and slowly sat up, facing him. "Yeah." The evening's events were starting to sharpen. "We were at the celebration, right?" Her feet were tucked up under her and her thigh rested on his. The proximity and intimate setting they found themselves in was doing all kinds of crazy things to her body.

Lee closed his eyes and pulled his thoughts and memories into focus. They had been dancing. And drinking. And then they danced again. And drank again. He nodded his head. "Yeah. Celebration." Things went a little fuzzy after the dancing and drinking. "Not sure about much after that last round of drinks." The Chief. He'd bought the last round…double shots of ambrosia. "Tyrol. Double shots." He groaned. At least his head was fuzzy from the good stuff.

Kara remembered that. Another memory clicked into place. "We all left to catch a shuttle back to the Galactica." What had happened to make them stay here? It was hovering on the fringes of her mind, but she wasn't quite there yet.

Lee was. As soon as she mentioned the shuttle, he knew what had happened. "We stayed behind. The Raptor was full." His lips split with a grin. "We got tired of waiting for the next Raptor." They had been standing around the dock, more than uncomfortable after being completely dressed up for the better part of the evening.

Kara smiled. "I remember now. Since the Raptor wasn't coming back for a couple of hours, we decided to see if there was a room we could relax in." She had just wanted to get her shoes off. Frakkin' heels. "We obviously found one." She felt better just having that little piece of the puzzle.

Lee nodded; he was with her so far. "Obviously." It didn't explain how they ended up naked, in bed together. "That only explains part of it though." He really wanted to know what had happened the rest of the night. Had they let Galactica know they'd be staying? It hadn't been necessary. Raptors were running back and forth for the duration of the celebration.

Kara smirked. He was trying to be so proper. "Referring to the naked part being unexplained, Lee?" She laughed when his face flamed red. "Oh, you're too easy." She didn't particularly care anymore how they ended up naked. She had more than enough information to know that they hadn't done anything stupid…in front of other crewmembers.

It was making Lee crazy that Kara was sitting right beside him completely naked. He forced his libidinous thoughts to the back of his mind. "You aren't curious as to how we ended up in bed together?" He damn sure was. It was going to kill him if they'd frakked and he couldn't remember it. "At all?" Was it him or had the sheet fallen down a couple of inches? Oh frak…she couldn't be doing that on purpose. Could she?

Kara was sure that they'd only slept together. "Lee…I'm sure we ended up deciding to call it a night and just stay here." She twisted around, exposing her naked back to him, and looked around the room. His sharp intake of breath brought a smile to her lips. "Although…" She got a good look at their clothes. "It's possible we may have undressed each other." Now THAT she wished she could remember.

Lee pulled his gaze away from the creamy expanse of her naked back. "What?" His eyes snapped to hers. "You think we undressed each other?" Oh frak…why couldn't he remember that?

Kara shifted her feet in front of her and scooted back to sit beside Lee. "Look at the evidence." When he just quirked an eyebrow at her, she sighed. "Okay…look at my dress." She pointed to her dress, hanging neatly on the back of the door…hanger and all. When Lee nodded that he'd seen the dress, she continued. "Now…look at your uniform." It was lying in a haphazard heap on the floor, the dress sash carelessly tossed on top of the pile.

Lee could see her point. "Okay. We undressed each other." Dammit. He'd had her more of less right where he's always wanted her and he had been too blasted to fully explore the opportunity. Frak. "Do YOU remember it?" He had a feeling she didn't. She would have teased him mercilessly if she had.

Kara shook her head. She didn't. She wished she had. Lee Adama, in bed, naked, right next to her. And she'd put him there. Why, oh why couldn't she recall undressing him? "Looks like we both missed out on the fun." She shifted slightly, bringing her leg into contact with his again. If his reaction was any indication, they might be able to salvage something from this.

Lee was pondering the feel of her skin rubbing against his when her words registered in his head. "Fun?" His skin burned where it touched hers and his gaze flew up to meet hers. "You think…undressing me would be fun?" Who knew? His body responded almost painfully to that. Blood rushed to his thickening shaft and he adjusted the blanket accordingly.

Kara snorted. "Please." His blanket adjust hadn't gone unnoticed by her, so she let go of the sheet. She didn't want to be blatant…she was just going to let gravity do the rest. "How many kinds of stupid are you?" She angled slightly toward him and the sheet slipped down an inch. "Don't even pretend you don't know how many female crew members sneak looks at you." It was hard to miss and the conversation after he left was even worse. She giggled. She might just have to fill him in on what the female population thought of his prime physique. It would embarrass the hell out of him…she liked that.

Lee just shrugged his shoulders. He could give a frak about what others thought of him right now when the sheet shielding Kara from his view kept creeping lower and lower. "You know you get your fair share of looks, too." His thoughts were heading in a very dangerous direction, but he didn't care. If that sheet were to fall any lower…all bets were off.

The sheet drifted a little lower as Kara scrunched her shoulders. "Yeah, well…" She shifted her position, dislodging the material completely and it drifted to her waist. The change in the air was electric. Lee's eyes drifted downward with the fabric, his gaze resting on her exposed breasts. The raw need she saw when he returned his eyes to hers made her suck in a hiss of air. Oh gods…were they going to do this? "Um…Lee?" She leaned back against the pillows, sinking down a little. As his head descended towards hers, she was starting to question the intelligence of where this was going…even if she did want it badly. But she wouldn't survive the loss of his friendship. She couldn't afford to frak this up.

Lee instinctively knew her concern. He didn't stop lowering his head until his lips hovered just above hers. "Uh uh." Giving her a hard, fast kiss he continued. "We're not stopping." Another hard kiss, this one longer with more heat. "Figure it out later." Another kiss, she was still holding back. "Kara…we'll be okay." His lips met hers again then drifted along her jaw until he whispered in her ear. "Always." Then he felt it…she came to life, grabbing his face, kissing him as only she could. It was fire and heat and he wondered if his brain would singe completely before they were through.

Lee's whispered promise erased all of Kara's reluctance. She responded with passion and unleashed the full force of her desire, kissing him with the pent up need that rode just under the surface of all their interactions. Her lips drifted over to his shoulder, her teeth scraping against his skin eliciting a shudder from him. A thrill shot thought her creating an ache that centered right between her legs.

She felt Lee shift downward, his lips brushing over her skin. When he reached her breasts he nibbled gently around her aroused nipples, never quite pulling them between his lips. She whimpered in frustration until Lee finally brought the puckered tip into his mouth sucking with enough force to make her hips buck up of the bed. Oh gods, he was killing her, she thought as her fingers shot through his hair, pulling his head closer to her. She gasped at the heat coiling through her and as he switched to her other breast, her hand slid under him seeking his cock. Wrapping her fingers around the length, she began a gentle tugging that made him moan against her skin. Smiling, she thought payback was worth its weight in gold.

When Kara's hand wrapped around his shaft, Lee had a momentary thought that if he died right now, he'd die happy. He quickly scratched that thought as she began a rhythmic pull that convinced him he'd only die happy after he experienced all there was to experience with her. He moaned low in his throat…her touch was making his blood course through his veins and gather in the one location receiving attention from her.

He pulled back just out of her reach and sucked in a breath then he shifted his position while pulling Kara under him. Settling his weight between her legs, he brushed himself over her once, twice, drawing a moan from Kara each time he came into contact with her clit. He continued until they were both breathing heavily. His head lowered and as he crushed her mouth under his, he thrust inside her slippery passage until hips met hips. Groaning into each other's mouths, they set a frantic pace of push and pull.

Kara was losing her grip on reality. Having Lee inside her, filling her, was something she'd never considered a possibility. The fact that it was now happening made her tingle with an awareness she had never felt before. Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him in closer to her. Her hips lifted and met his with a passionate staccato. When his hand slid around to cup her ass and hold her steady against him, she almost slipped over the edge right then and there. She was caught by surprise when Lee quickly rolled them over putting her firmly in control. It was her turn to lower her head and capture his lips in a series of biting kisses that just inflamed them more.

Lee was feeling so wrapped up with Kara that he was sure they were a single entity at this point. She was riding him with a ferocity that took his breath away. Their kisses were all lips and teeth and tongue as he spiraled out of control. Her hips rocked into his as his mouth moved down her throat, sucking along her smooth skin. He paused at her collarbone drawing his lips over the curve, marking her as his, though no one would see it unless she was in the shower.

He knew without a doubt that he would never experience what he felt right now with anyone else but her.

Kara felt the pleasure/pain of Lee's lips and mouth at her collarbone, knowing it was going to leave a mark. She didn't care. The electric feeling of moving against him was starting to spread throughout her body. She sat up, bracing her hands on his chest and rapidly rocked her hips against his, her breasts rising and falling with her breathing until Lee caught them in his hands. Her breath hitched in her throat as his thumbs rubbed over her nipples and she gasped, sliding over the edge as a wave of pleasure hit her, hard. She was numb to everything but him and the clenching release she was drowning in.

Lee's control was nearing its limits when he felt her come, the sleek softness tightening around his length drawing out his own release. Groaning, he came apart inside her pulling her to him before she collapsed against him. He tried to hang on to the feeling as his hips thrust up into her over and over until he was too soft to continue. He held her against him, her head resting on his shoulder as his hand played with the golden strands of her hair until their breathing finally returned to normal. His brain was shuffling words around, trying to string the right ones together so he could speak. She beat him to it.

Kara lifted her head off Lee's shoulder making his hand slide down to her back. She gazed down at him thinking she needed to be sprawled over top of him more often. "Wow." She couldn't hold back a smile. "Why the frak did we wait so long to do this?" She watched as he smiled then laughed. Yep. They were going to be okay.

Lee tightened his arm around her as she shifted and slid down beside him on the bed. "Not sure." He was quiet for a moment as her hand rubbed over his chest. He smiled at her then questioned. "Wanna do it again?" He shot her a look that had her giggling as she rested her chin on her hand.

Kara knew they weren't finished yet; they had another 24 hours of leave left. "You bet." She moved her hand and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She yawned. "We've got time left. How about a nice long nap first?" She pulled the big fluffy blanket up over them and snuggled against him.

Lee nodded his agreement then yawned himself. He felt the lethargic pull of sleep after being satiated calling to him also. He murmured to Kara. "Later, then?" He could her breathing getting deeper she may already be sleeping.

Kara's eyes blinked open for a moment. "Count on it." Then they slipped closed again as she drifted off, her mind filled with pleasant images of what was to come.

FIN


	13. Chapter 13

Summary:

A possible scenario to explain how Kara helps Lee decide to commit mutiny against his father by holding a gun to Tigh's head.

KOBOL'S LAST GLEAMING part 2

Lee couldn't believe she was gone. Jumped away…poof…outta here. His thoughts were jumbled in his head as he made his way to CIC to report in. He'd come down on her, hard, for going to Tigh with her half-assed plan. A plan that could get her killed. He was still so angry at her for sleeping with Baltar that he'd walked away from her apology without a word. He'd just turned away and left.

Once he got past the anger, all that was left was the fear. It was the fear that she wouldn't survive an ejection from a Cylon Raider that had fueled his anger. And anger was easier to fall back on. She'd have laughed at his worry over her, so he did what he always did when he was unsure of himself. He lashed out with coldness and walked away.

When she found him later, there was something off about her, but he didn't get the chance to figure it out. She had come to apologize again…for Tigh, for Baltar and there was such a note of solemn desperation to it that when she kissed him he had dropped his guard and let her in. And now she had jumped back to Caprica in the Raider. They don't even know if she'd made it.

As he walked into CIC, his father ordered him to have the CAP isolate Colonial One. Then they discussed how to gain access to the ship and place the President under arrest. It wasn't going to be easy, her security detail would protect that ship.

Things were beginning to make sense. The President had asked Kara to retrieve the Arrow of Apollo because some prophecy foretold it would lead the last of humanity to Earth. Then his father mentioned his conversation with Kara and her questions about their progress. Then he passed along the gist of their last communiqué before she jumped.

He should have been concentrating on tactical details as they met to board the Raptors heading to Colonial One. His mind was supposed to be focused on what the President had cost them by sending Kara on a fool's mission. Instead his brain kept vividly replaying images of what followed the kiss he had shared with her.

She had looked at him with such need that when she began unbuttoning his uniform, his hands automatically went to her fatigue shirt and slipped it off her shoulders. From that point, the memory of being with her played itself out in his mind like a series of snapshots. Flash. Lips on lips, hands over skin as clothes melted away. Flash. Faces caught in a moment of mutual hunger so great it threatened to consume them both. Flash. Up against the wall, skin-to-skin, straining against each other, their bodies a perfect fit. Flash. Her face a vision as he thrust inside her trying to drive away all their demons. Flash. Her name torn from his lips as he surged up into her, holding her close, heartbeat to heartbeat. Flash. Hips pumping, lips meshed together, fingers entwined, for the hard fall into oblivion. Flash. Holding each other up, as they tried to process the intense feelings unleashed between them.

Neither was quite sure how to proceed from there.

Lee put a halt to those thoughts as he forced himself to focus on the mission. He wasn't confident that removing the President from office was the right thing to do. She'd made a bad decision. A very bad decision, but the fleet needed the structure of democracy. He believed that with everything within himself.

He met up with Colonel Tigh and they boarded one of the Raptors. They were going to do this.

The flight to arrest the President wasn't taking very long. Lee sat at the ECO console, while Colonel Tigh and a contingent of marines stood waiting for the Raptor to dock against the ship so they could begin cutting through the hull. Again, he didn't feel confident with their current action and his heart ached as he remembered Kara's parting words to him the last time he saw her before their aborted test flight.

They had finally let go of each other and both turned for their discarded clothes. Lee hadn't been able to coherently put words together, so he remained silent. He was afraid anything he said would ruin the wonderful feeling he was experiencing at finally being released from the past and letting Kara in. He cast a furtive look in her direction and was almost laid low by the utter sadness on her face. She slowly met his gaze and he thought maybe he had imagined what he'd seen because her smile was warm, if tentative.

She started to speak. "You know Lee," his eyes were trained on her legs smoothly sliding into her pants. He shook himself and blinked when she continued. "Sometimes we make the wrong decision for the right reason." He met her gaze again, and realized she was halfway dressed and he was still standing there like a lump. He nodded for her to go on, while he scrambled into his own pants. "We can't take it back once we've acted on it." Her tanks were back on and she paused. "The only thing we can do is own it." Her arms slid into her shirtsleeves. "Learn from it." She shrugged the rest of the way into the fatigue shirt. "And move on."

Not sure where she was going with her words, Lee paused in his dressing to shoot her a questioning glance. Her next words really threw him. "Sometimes our mind makes a choice that hurts our heart." She had moved to stand in front of him. "You're gonna need to remember that and keep it in mind." Then she leaned in kissed him with a gentle passion. "I'll see you out there."

And then she was gone, leaving Lee wondering what the hell was going on with her. Cryptic words aside, there was an almost final note to her kiss that had him worried. He finished dressing with the intention of tracking her down to make sure she was alright, when another thought hit him. He hadn't actually said he'd forgiven her…maybe she thought he was still judging her. Or, she could be having regrets for what happened between them. If that were the case, he decided to wait until after the flight test to bring it up. She needed to be on her game for the Raider test flight and things were almost always volatile between them, even on a good day. He'd wait until they got back.

Except he was the only one who came back. The Colonel was signaling him. They had breached the hull. "Galactica, Apollo. We have soft seal." He removed the headset and stood to enter Colonial One. It was time. The President was going to be removed from office.

They were methodically making their way, compartment by compartment toward the President. The marines were handling the limited resistance of Roslin's security detail. With each newly cleared area, Lee would nod at the men who were being restrained…most of them hand picked by him for the job. He wasn't really paying attention as he followed Tigh through the ship. He was pondering the action he was participating in and wondering if it was lawful. His father had told him he needed to let go and follow his instincts.

His instincts were screaming that this was wrong.

On the other hand, Kara was gone and it was because the President ordered her to go. He had known something was off with her and her final parting words made the worst kind of sense now. At the time he'd thought she might have been referring to Baltar…now he knew better. She was more or less telling him why she chose to jump away during their final test of the Raider. He didn't know everything, but Kara's words rolled through his mind again…sometimes we make bad decisions for the right reasons.

That's what the President had done. That's what his father was doing. Arresting Roslin, taking the ship by force. It wasn't right. They were quickly approaching her antechamber and Adama's advice, from their sparring match, now echoed in his mind…you have to follow your instincts. Lee's every instinct told him his dad was making the wrong choice; that the fleet wouldn't survive this.

They entered the President's space, and guns were drawn. The Colonel told the President no one needed to get hurt. Roslin then asked why they didn't just get off her ship. It was shaping up to be a very tense standoff. The press was there, as were Roslin's closest aides and advisors. Lee was at war with himself over his orders to remove the President from office and his personal feelings that their democracy must be preserved when suddenly Kara's advice made perfect sense. Sometimes our mind makes a decision that hurts our heart. Now he knew why he needed to remember that. She had made a tough decision and he knew it hurt her to go against his father. But she had followed her instincts and with luck, she'd make it back to them. To him. With a heavy heart, he decided he had to follow his own instincts and put a stop to this madness.

As Colonel Tigh was placing the President under arrest, she stood refusing to yield, her security detail placed firmly in front of her. Lee shook his head. "No. No. We're not going to do this." His decision may be against orders, but they had to preserve the democracy.

Tigh turned his head toward Lee. "I'm in command here, Captain." His tone was gruff and Lee knew there would be hell to pay later. He thought once more of his father and Kara and finally had complete understanding of what they'd been trying to tell him.

Not taking his eyes off the President's security team he spoke low and harsh. "Colonel this is wrong." He shifted his weight almost changing his angle for what he knew he was going to have to do.

Tigh flicked his gaze toward him. "You're relieved. Fall back." He faced the President again. "Madam President, I wish to—" And Lee made his move.

Pulling his sidearm he aimed it at the Colonel's head. "Men, lay down your weapons." He owned this and somehow it felt right.

Colonel Tigh's eyes widened in shock, "Have you lost your frakking mind?"

Not yet…I think I may have finally found it, was the thought that flashed right before Lee said. "Colonel, tell these marines to fall back." He spoke with purpose and could feel the president's eyes on him. He didn't care. He had just learned to live with a decision regardless of the potential fallout.

Tigh growled at him. "This is mutiny. You know that."

His hand didn't waver. "Yes. I do." He continued as Tigh leaned away from the gun. "And you can tell my father that I'm listening to my instincts." He took a breath before continuing. "And my instincts tell me that we cannot sacrifice our democracy…" Dropping his voice to a harsh whisper, he gritted out. "…Just because the President makes a bad decision." He didn't break eye contact with the Colonel even though he knew he'd end up in the brig. He was beyond worrying about it. He'd made his decision to support the democracy even though it pained him to go against his dad.

He had just made a big leap toward becoming his own man, his father's words being the catalyst that propelled him.

Kara's cryptic advice was the balm that soothed his soul and if…no…when they saw each other again, they had a lot to discuss.

FIN


End file.
